


Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Twin

by Saugustine



Series: Chaos Attracts Change [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Loki (Marvel) - Fandom, Norse Mythology, Thor (Movies)
Genre: All the Feals, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Awesome Head of House, Book 1: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Canon Compliant, Child Abuse, Crossover, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone is protective of Harry, Except maybe Dumbledore IDK, Female Loki (Marvel), Flashbacks, Gen, Generally Plotless fluff, Hurt/Comfort, IDK is this a plot?, PTSD, Past Child Abuse, Ron? Who's Ron?, Slow Build, Trauma, Twins vs. Twins Prank War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2019-09-21 07:16:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 37
Words: 39,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17039231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saugustine/pseuds/Saugustine
Summary: Loki peared up at is brother’s face as he hung dangling from Thor’s grip above the casm expanding the space of what had once been the bifrost.  Thor’s shouts and pleas bouncing off the shrapnel of Loki’s shattering heart.  Everything and everyone he had ever known was a lie.  His mother’s love was a lie.  His father’s encouragement was a lie.  Ha!  Even the brotherly concern he could see in Thor’s desperate gaze was a lie.All he wanted was for it all to stop.  He didn’t want to see, or feal, or think about this anymore.  He just wanted to let it all go… and so he did.Starting at the end of the first Thor movie when Loki tries to kill himself and matters do not go according to plan.  A twist of fate leads to Loki being adopted by the Malfoy family as Draco's twin sister.  Harry Potter has always been a magnet for chaos and change, but this girl takes it to a whole new level.





	1. Prologue: A God Falls and a Phoenix Rises

**Author's Note:**

> To those waiting on the next installment of The Prophecies of Freya, sorry. I am still working on it but writing in canon takes a lot more research and I am currently stumped by a plot problem. I’m starting this story because I have had the idea for a while and need a writing outlet while I continue to work on the problem.

Loki looked up into his brother’s face as he hung dangling from Thor’s grip above the chasm expanding the space of what had once been the Bifrost.  Thor’s shouts and pleas bouncing off the shrapnel of Loki’s shattering heart. Everything and everyone he had ever known was a lie. His mother’s love was a lie.  His father’s encouragement was a lie. Ha! Even the brotherly concern he could see in Thor’s desperate gaze was a lie.

 

All he wanted was for it all to stop.  He didn’t want to see, or feel, or think about this anymore.  He just wanted to let it all go… and so he did.

 

***

 

Loki fell, and fell, and _fell._  It was becoming a never ending cycle.  Whether it had been days, weeks, or years he did not know.  All he knew now was the fall was not going to kill him. What was the point of falling to your death if there was nowhere to fall too.  He wasn’t sure what he had expected by falling into the void, but it was definitely not as boring as this.

 

The last thing he wanted to do was think, but his mind was the only thing he had left to entertain him.  Shouldn’t he have died by now? He knew it was hard for a god to die but only the gods of necessity were impossible to kill outside of Asgaurd.  He was not one of those gods. They brought order and stability to the world. He was the one that created chaos and destruction. There was nothing necessary about him! In fact the worlds were better off without him, that was the whole point!   

 

Loki sighed in exasperation, his mind finally spent and patience long gone.  Loki did the only thing he could think of.  He used his magic to do it himself. Silently he began to build his power inside himself at a single point in the center of his sternum.  He imagined that power glowing like a bright star as he poured more and more molten chaotic magic into the compact vessel. Brighter and brighter it burned until finally something had to give.  The star shattered with more power than the greatest supernova in history in a burst of light so great it was blinding. Thus the god of chaos died, or so he thought....

 

***

 

Narcissa Malfoy stared out the window at the falling star feeling as though her spirit were dying with it.  Below her dead eyes she protectively clutched her stillborn daughter to her chest as silent tears fell from her cheeks.  Lucius and the mediwiches had tried to reason with her only to be met with wrathful glares. Now her husband sat in stunned silence in his own world of grief as he clutched their still week newborn son.  Any time he would start to drift off into sleep, he would suddenly start and lift his son to his ear to check that he was still breathing.

 

Healer Meadow slowly entered the room as not to startle the grieving parents.  She approached Lucius first as the the more stable of the two and gently lifted the child from his grasp.  While Lucius aloud her to hold his son he did not remove his hand from his son’s back.

Once finished with the diagnostic spells, Healer Meadow inched forward to examine Lady Malfoy.  She did not respond, even when the diagnostic spells ran over the distraught mother.

 

Once her task was complete Healer Meadow kneeled before Lady Malfoy.  Laying her hand gently over the mother’s.  Narcissa finally made eye contact with the Healer.  “I know that I can not understand what you are going through right now, but as your healer I am concerned about your mental well being.”  

 

“You are right.  You _can’t_ understand how I am feeling!” growled Narcissa.  

 

Meadow’s hand tightened in sympathy over the other woman’s grasp.  “Narcissa. your daughter is gone. I’m sorry, but there is nothing I can say to make it any easier on you.  I know you are trying to protect her, but she doesn’t need your protection any longer… Your son does.” Narcissa’s hands began to tremble beneath Healer Meadow’s.  “Let me help you let her go,” said the healer in her most gentle whisper.

 

Lucius came to stand at his wife’s side as the healer gently lifted their daughter from her mother’s arms.  With a wail of pure anguish, Narcissa wrapped her arms around his midsection and began to sob. Healer Meadow gently swaddled the to still form, covering her face before passing the dead child to a somber faced mediwitch.  

 

Slowly she approached the couple again.  “Based on my diagnostic spells you are all free to go home and rest, but I would strongly advise your return for follow up outpatient care with one of our mind healers or a grief counselors in town.  I have taken the liberty of writing down a few that I would recommend.” She paused before leaving to say with concern, “I am truly sorry for your loss.”

 

***

 

An hour later Lucius guided his grief stricken wife with one hand and cradled his son in the other as they exited the hospital in silence.  As they passed through the doors to head for the nearest apparition platform, Narcissa’s knees gave way and she sank onto the floor clutching the soft green baby blanket to her chest as she keened in sorrow.  Lucius tightened the matching one more securely around his son before he knelt and embraced his wife. Her cries echoed off the stone walls and pillars as she wept and for once Lucius did not care about the people who passed them by or what they thought of their spectacle.  

 

Narcissa’s cries began to fade as Lucius stroked small circles on her back, but her cries still echoed around them.  Suddenly Narcissa stood and began foraging through the garden that ringed the outside wall of Godric's Hollow Hospital.  Confused Lucius tried to pull his wife to her feet, but she broke free muttering as she continued her frenzied search. “Babybabybabymybaby...” Until finally she came to an Alder tree in the garden ringed in sweet flag irises.  There below its low slung branches lay a small wriggling bundle.

 

***

 

The infant frost giant under the tree struggled and cried out for help, but as the branches parted the cries stopped.  Gentle hands reached down and as they made contact every hope, every dream, and every wish the woman had poured into the child and she became them.  Just as Loki had in the hands of Oden. Narcissa pulled back the cloth from the child's face and gazed down at the newborn baby girl in her arms.  Her heart clenched painfully in her chest as she gently stroked the feather soft tufts of platinum blond hair above the baby girl's porcelain face.  She stared into the baby’s intelligent green eyes for a long time before turning to her husband. He didn’t take long to convince, he always had been soft when it came to her.


	2. Twins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alpha Phoenicis, also named Ankaa, is the brightest star in the constellation of Phoenix.

Ankaa:

 

Ankaa Malfoy tapped her foot impatiently while she waited for her brother to finish getting ready.  Most would think that out of the twins, Ankaa, as the girl, would be the one holding up the family outing fixing her hair.  Of course she had taken an hour herself to get presentable and pull her white blond hair up into an intricate braid for the special occasion, but Draco was still in his bathroom grooming after two and a half hours!  Patience at an end, Ankaa walked to her father’s study to liberate one of her father’s spare wands. Quickly she returned to Draco’s room and whispered _alohomora_ and slipped inside silently.  She stalked through the large sitting room and the bedroom with the gigantic mahogany four poster to stand by the double doors to Draco’s personal bath.  

 

Leaning her ear gently to the door she whispered, “Draco! What is taking so long.  We should have left for Diagon Alley twenty minutes ago. Father is getting impatient!”  

 

There was a long pause before Draco’s defeated whisper came through the door, “I need a favor.”  

 

Perking with interest, Ankaa said, “What are you offering?”

 

“I don’t know.  Just come in here!”

 

Ankaa pushed open the door to reveal a hilarious sight.  Draco’s hair was slicked back like he had the worst helmet hair ever and he currently had a comb tangled in the stiff locks at the nape of his neck.  “Don’t you dare laugh!”

 

With great effort Ankaa pulled her features into a well practiced cool expression.  The only indicator of her true emotions was the undeniable humor sparkling in her green eyes.  “Another favor so soon? It’s one for the assistance, but not laughing in the process will bring you up to two favors, maybe even three.  You must be really desperate.” She reached for the comb and as her fingers made contact with his hair she paused. “What is this? It feels like solid plastic!”  

 

“I owl ordered a new tonic to increase the glossy sheen in hair,” Draco mumbled.  

 

“Well it definitely did that! Where is the bottle?” He pointed to a small bottle on the counter and she began to read the instructions.  It took some time and several cleaning spells to finally remove the resin like substance from his hair, but they were eventually able to head to Diagon Alley with their parents.  


	3. Measurements and Stitches

Draco:

 

Draco’s hair fell in soft, well kept waves around his face as they strolled past the shops.  Stopping with his family in front of Madam Malkin’s, Draco turned to his father expectantly. Lucius Malfoy handed both him and his sister a soft pouch of gallions, instructing them to stick close to their mother while he went to deal with a business associate.  

 

Quickly they were herded into the shop and sat side by side on small white platforms.  While they were being fitted for their first school robes, another student came in wearing dreadful baggy clothes and looking rather lost.  Draco’s immediate response was to ignore the cretin, but his sister Ankaa noticed the boy’s distress. Hopping down from the pedestal she approached and explained that the shopkeeper was in the back with their mother discussing their order, but if he was here for school robes he could step up on any of the pedestals and the measuring tapes would start the sizing process automatically.  

 

As if to demonstrate how it was done, Ankaa stepped back up onto her pedestal and the tools began where they left off.  The other boy tentatively stepped up on the one beside her and stared in wonder at the tools as they began taking his measurements on their own.  

 

Draco shook his head at his sister’s show of politeness.  Their mother always had been more strict on manners with her daughter, but after her display he had no choice but to acknowledge the other boy now. Tilting his head so that he could see past his sister’s sleeve Draco asked, “Hogwarts, too?”

 

Slightly startled, the other boy turned to him, “Yes.”

 

“Our father is off on an errand and our mother is back with the shopkeeper.  I can’t wait to get out of here and finally get to go look at racing brooms.  I don’t see why first years can’t have their own brooms.”

 

“Not that mother would ever let me have one,” grumbled Ankaa, making a sour face.  

 

Draco looked at his sister with sympathy.  Their mother didn’t think Quidditch was very lady like.  “You never know Ankaa, you can be very persuasive. Besides you always have had father wrapped around your finger, why not try convincing him instead?”  

 

“Don’t you think I’ve tried?  He can’t get mother to change her mind.  Maybe if I make the Slytherin team without her knowing he could help me keep it secret?”  

 

“Slytherin?”  the boy next to Ankaa asked.  

 

“Yes.  Our family has been sorted into Slytherin for generations,” said Draco as he preened slightly.  

 

His sister rolled her eyes at his dramatics and turned to the other boy again, “Do you have an idea yet of what house you’ll get?”  

 

The boy just quietly shook his head.  

 

“Well I guess nobody can really know until they get there, but most people follow after their parents,” said Draco while glancing around.  “Where are your parents anyway? We’ve been in here a while.”

 

“Their dead,” said the boy not looking at either of them.  

 

Ankaa gently placed a hand on his shoulder and the boy flinched slightly.  “I’m sorry,” she said softly as she pulled her hand back.

 

“Yes, that’s too bad, but at least they were _our_ kind right?” said Draco.  The boy looked up at him curiously.  He opened his mouth to explain further when...WHAM!  Ankaa’s hand crashed hard into the back of his head. “What was that for!” he exclaimed.

 

“Quit being such a prat! Can’t you see he is upset?” She turned back to the boy, “I’m sorry, he is usually not this rude.” Turning away she quietly continued under her breath, “...well, not when are mother could easily overhear.”  

 

Draco immediately stopped talking at that reminder.  He frowned in frustration as she smiled back with something dangerous sparkling behind her eyes.  “What! What did I say!” he exclaimed, knowing full well that his tongue had gotten him into dangerous territory.  His sister and mother could be right terrors about proper manners.

 

“Oh, just stop talking,” she said in exasperation.  

 

“Would that be a favor request I hear, my dear sister?” Draco purred with relish.  

 

“Now why would I waist one of my favors on something as simple as stilling your tough, when I could just call our mother back so she could scold you?”  

 

Ankaa turned her back on Draco as he glared into the back of her head.  “I’m sorry, he has been having a bad day.”

 

The boy looked at her with confusion, “Why is he asking about favors?”

 

Ankaa looked back at her brother and smiled mischievously.  Draco groaned in humiliation, as she turned back to the boy and launched into the morning events.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narcissa is harder on her daughter about manners, but is still very strict with Draco. She would be appalled if she knew how her son acted at school in the original books (in my opinion). I also feel that Lucius would have a less bigoted view of the world after adopting a child that might be an abandoned muggleborn.


	4. Books

Ankaa:

Ankaa used all her willpower not to laugh at her glaring twin. He disliked having his morning exploits aired to potential allies. Especially after how the boy had laughed at him without without even trying to hold back out of respect. Ankaa had not been able to hold back her mirth either.  Especially at the sight of Draco’s outraged expression at being laughed at in public. Her twin had deserved it though, he had been acting so pompous that she could not resist the opportunity to teach him some humility. The loss of the extra favors had been worth it.  Now he continued to snub her all the way to their next stop at Flourish and Blotts, where all Ankaa’s thoughts of their argument faded to the back of her mind.

She purposefully ignored the list of textbooks so she could browse the shelves longer. It was not like they were really necessary, she and Draco had been tutored in magic practically since birth and were well past anything the list of textbooks could offer. As she wondered the shelves her fingers lingering over the spines of rich, luxurious covers of books on potions, spells, and enchanted objects. She paused at a book with elegant silver script on a supple, black leather spine that read Mental Charms and Illusions. She quickly turned to inform Draco of her find, and nearly ran over a bushy haired girl with keen eyes.

“Drat! I wish I had spotted that one first,” said the girl as she looked at the book longingly. “If you do decide to put it back though, would you mind letting me know?”

Ankaa looked at the girl curiously. She looked to be about the same age as her and was wearing freshly tailored and unmarked school robes. “Of course I would, but I am certain that I will be keeping this one. Are you also a new student bound for Hogwarts?”

“Yes. Did the books give me away?” said the girl as she shifted her heavy load.

Ankaa took a closer look at the large stack of books. The girl did appear to be holding all the first year textbooks, but they had been so mixed in with all the other books she was carrying that she had failed to notice. “No, the school robes.” Ankaa paused in thought before continuing, “If you really want to read it, I could let you borrow it when I finish, if you let me borrow the Transfiguration Beyond the Mundane and Curses and Counter-curses books you have there.”

“Sounds like a fair trade to me,” said the girl as she shifted her heavy load. “Now if you will excuse me, I really must check out. My parents will be waiting for me.” With that brief farewell the girl headed to the counter and out of the store.

Ankaa browsed the shelves for a while more, gathering an equally large stack of books. She stopped several times to point out books to Draco when she found ones that she knew would peak his interest. They shared a similar interest in potions thanks to their godfather, but she was much more skilled at transfiguration and charms. Draco, on the other hand specialized in herbology, defense against the dark arts and of course all things Quidditch.

Once finished they sorted through their books to create two separate piles and then they went to collect this year’s school book before they checked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m having trouble deciding where to sort Harry, Hermione, and Nevil. Feel free to vote in the comments below!


	5. The Wand Chooses the Witch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Christmas! Hope you are enjoying the story so far. If you happen to be wondering why Ankaa is so different from Loki it is because she has no memories of her life as Loki yet and the environment she was raised in this time was drastically different. It was bound to effect her personality. Keep reading for more and remember to write comments if you have a suggestion on where characters should be sorted!

Draco:

 

After reconnecting with their father for a late lunch, Draco was practically vibrating with anticipation as he and his sister were led to Olivander’s.  Of course he and his sister had been tutored on wand work for several years already, but they had only been permitted the use of one of their father’s spare wands.  Because the wands were never truly theirs, the wands never felt right in his hands and it was much more difficult to perform spells. He had been waiting for the day he would receive his very own wand for a long time and now that it was here it was all he could do to retain some semblance of composure as they walked up to the shop’s double doors.  

 

“Ah, Sir and Lady Malfoy.  To what do I owe the pleasure?” said Mr. Olivander from behind the counter.  

 

Narcissa’s lips turned up slightly at the prestigious wand crafter as she said, “We have come to purchase Ankaa and Draco’s first wands.”  

 

“The man startled slightly and spoke with surprise, “No, surly not!  Why it seems like just yesterday that you and your husband were in here buying your first wands.”  

 

Draco thought the man must be going a bit loony in his old age if his sense of time was that far off.  He gazed around the room at the shelves upon shelves of wands. He wanted to try them all! He jumped in surprise at a sudden pain from a sharp elbow to the side and turned to see his sister looking at him expectantly.  Realizing he must have missed a question directed at him. He stepped up to the counter and shook the shopkeeper's outstretched hand. Draco felt slightly awkward as the old wizard held his hand and stared him in the eye for a long moment before heading into the shelves.  

 

Olivander returned several moments later carrying three boxes.  Placing the open boxes in front of Draco, he indicated that he choose one.  Draco immediately lifted a smooth gray alder wand with porcelain handle. He lifted the wand up and gave it an exited swish, but before he could complete the movement he dropped the wand with a yep.  “It bit me!” he cried in outrage.

 

“Definitely a no,” said Olivander as he stooped to pick up the fallen wand.  “Alder wands tend to be drawn to loyal and protective wizards. I have found that they also are quite vocal in their opinions.”  

 

Draco gently massaged the stung fingers from the wands rejection as the old man took all three boxes away.  Olivander returned with two more boxes and Draco cautiously reached for the elm wand with a silver handle. The wand reminded him of his father’s favorite wand, but it remained cool in his grasp long after he finished the casting gesture.  

 

Olivander disappeared again and was gone for a much longer time before he returned with a single box.  “Here we are. Hawthorn, ten inches, reasonably springy, and a core of unicorn hair,” he said as he lifted the box lid.  Draco stared at the smooth wand with a plain pewter handle in disappointment. He reached down and lifted the wand absently, but paused as soon as his fingers made contact.  The wand was already radiating a warm sense of power as he lifted it and gave it a gentle flick. The wand tip released a cool white light that circled Draco twice as it fell to the floor and extinguished at his feet.  

 

Draco stepped back from the counter and felt his father's hand squeezed his left shoulder as his mother and sister looked on in approval.  Olivander looked at him with curiosity in his old eyes, “An odd combination, hawthorn and unicorn hair. Hawthorn wands are known to choose wizards with conflicted natures and are not easy to master, but always choose one with proven talent.”  Olivander gave Draco one more knowing glance before he turned to his twin, “Now my dear it is your turn I should think…”

 

***

 

Draco slumped against the wall of shelves in utter boredom.  Ankaa was taking forever to choose a wand! The pile of discarded wands now stretched more than half the expansive counter and was much taller than she.  Unlike himself, she had yet to have one react aggressively towards her, but none of them had yet responded to her touch either. If he had not already witnessed her casting spells right and left with their father’s wand for years, he would be starting to question if she was a squib!  Olivander had been getting more and more excited as the wands were rejected, like some little kid on Christmas. Now though, after running up and down the ladders looking for wands, his old age was starting to catch up to him and he was starting to wheeze despite his excitement.

 

After having another wand rejected, Olivander paused in front of the stack.  “This just won’t do,” he said as he flicked his wand. Boxes and wands flew in all directions as the stack of wands began to re-shelve themselves back where they came from.  When he was finished there were only two wands remaining.

Olivander lifted the two wands, one light and one dark. “These were the two that you had the closest connection with,” he said slowly.  

 

“I don’t know,” said Ankaa tiredly, “I didn't feel much from any of them really.”  

 

“No, of course not,” he said, “these are definitely not your wands, but they might be a clue.”  he stared at the wands for a while more before dashing up a ladder leading to the second story loft.  After a long pause, he returned carrying a single dusty box. He placed it before Ankaa and lifted the lid.  “Give this one a try. Mixed wand woods have gone out of style because they are so much harder to place, but I think you may be one of the few where this is necessary.”  

 

Draco stood closer to get a better look as his sister lifted the wand free from the old box.  “This is one of my more creative designs,” said Olivander. “The two types of wood, pine and ebony, are merged seamlessly around the phoenix feather core.  13 and ¾ long, quite flexible.” Ankaa held the wand gently with both hands as she inspected the intricate carving. The ebony and pine wood wood grains interlaced at the hilt in a pattern and texture similar to snake scales tapering to a smooth twist of the white and black wood gains ending precisely at the tip.  She ran her fingertips over the wands length with wonder before lifting it and giving an excited flick of the wrist. Flames burst from the wand tip and flitted about the room in the form of a tiny phoenix before landing on the counter and collapsing into a small pile of ash.

 

“An interesting combination,” muttered Olivander as he lifted the wand to be wrapped in a clean box.  “This is not the type of wand one would normally see in the hand of a beginner at magic. Ebony wand wood has been prized by wand makers for centuries because of its beautiful, deep black grain.  Ebony wands often choose wizards that are non-conformist, highly individual or comfortable with the status of an outsider, though they are rarely this flexible. While pine wood wands prefer to be used creatively, and unlike some others, will adapt easily to new methods and spells.”  Olivander paused in his work to look Ankaa in they eye. “These two distinctive wand woods combined with the core of Phoenix feather tells of a rather strongly independent and experienced witch,” he said with a knowing look.

 

Then Olivander looked at the still smoldering ash as he handed Draco’s sister the wand box, “I will be keeping my eye on you Miss Malfoy.  It has been a long time since I have had the satisfaction of making such a strong wand match and with such a unique wand too. I look forward to seeing what you will accomplish in the future.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did quite a bit of research on wands before writing this chapter. Below is some of what I found. 
> 
> Ebony- This jet-black wand wood has an impressive appearance and reputation, being highly suited to all manner of combative magic, and to Transfiguration. Ebony is happiest in the hand of those with the courage to be themselves. Frequently non-conformist, highly individual or comfortable with the status of outsider. In my experience the ebony wand’s perfect match is one who will hold fast to his or her beliefs, no matter what the external pressure, and will not be swayed lightly from their purpose.
> 
> Pine- The straight-grained pine wand always chooses an independent, individual master who may be perceived as a loner, intriguing and perhaps mysterious. Pine wands enjoy being used creatively, and unlike some others, will adapt unprotestingly to new methods and spells. Many wandmakers insist that pine wands are able to detect, and perform best for, owners who are destined for long lives, and I can confirm this in as much as I have never personally known the master of a pine wand to die young. The pine wand is one of those that is most sensitive to non-verbal magic.
> 
> Phoenix - This is the rarest core type. Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, though they may take longer than either unicorn or dragon cores to reveal this. They show the most initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord, a quality that many witches and wizards dislike.
> 
> Phoenix feather wands are always the pickiest when it comes to potential owners, for the creature from which they are taken is one of the most independent and detached in the world. These wands are the hardest to tame and to personalize, and their allegiance is usually hard won.


	6. The Hogwarts Express

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year one day late!

Harry:

 

Harry paced in distress at Kings Cross Station.  He was walking back and forth between platform nine and platform ten as his steps began to steadily speed up.  The guard had just brushed him off as a troublemaker, Uncle Vernon had been positively gleeful at Harry’s predicament, and the ticket Hagrid had given him, with no further directions whatsoever,  said he had ten minutes before his _supposed_ train left!  He was just about to pull out his new wand out and start taping on random bricks like Hagrid had done at the Leaky Calderon, when he spotted a familiar flash of white in the crowd.  

 

There in the station entryway stood the boy and girl from the wizarding robes shop.  Just behind the pair stood two adults that could only be their parents. The man looked just like the boy except for his long white hair and more mature features.  The woman and the girl looked just as similar with their pail gold tresses and flawless skin. The main differences being that the girl had green eyes instead of blue and her long hair was pulled back into a simple high ponytail instead of the intricate braided hairstyle the mother wore.  Harry remembered the girl wearing some similar hair style at the shop, but the girl seemed much more relaxed without it. Coming to his senses quickly, Harry began to follow the family from a distance through the crowded train station.

 

They came to a stop in front of the third pillar between platforms nine and ten.  The tall man placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder, “Let’s get out of this dreadfully _muggle_ place Draco.”  

 

The boy, Draco, reached for his cart's handle in disgust, “Yes, father.”  Calmly the two strolled up to the pillar and casually passed through the solid bricks.  

 

Harry took an unconscious step forward as he tried to get a better look at where they had gone.  Suddenly something brushed Harry’s shoulder and he jumped, raising a hand reflexively. The girl with the pail gold hair was standing next to him looking at his hand curiously.  Feeling stupid, he realized that what had scared him had probably just been her hand on his shoulder. Trying to cover his overreaction he began to stutter, “Sorry. I was - I was just - just trying to...”

 

Taking pity on him, the girl said, “Trying to get on the Platform?”

 

Harry nodded.  

 

The tall woman stepped forward.  “You can come with us, if you like.  My name is Lady Narcissa Malfoy and this is my daughter Ankaa Malfoy,” said the woman, introducing them properly.  “What is your name dear?”

 

“Harry Potter, ma’am.”

 

There was a subtle pause before the woman continued without comment, for which Harry was grateful.  “It’s quite simple really. You just have to walk through the barrier. It is spelled to look like an ordinary pillar, but is really a door.  It also has a defensive spell that keeps muggles out by repelling anyone who thinks they are going to crash from passing through. That way if someone loses control of their cart it doesn't slip through and draw unwanted attention.  It’s best if you are feeling nervous to take a quicker pace.” She turned to her daughter to say, “Ankaa, why don’t you go on through with your cart and I will bring Mr. Potter and meet you on the other side?”

 

“Yes, mother,” she said before walking through the wall as if nothing could be more simple.  Harry was not convinced.

 

Nervously, he allowed Mrs. Malfoy to lead him up to the wall.  Seeing his hesitation, she grabbed his hand and picked up her pace to a quick trot at the last minute, not giving him time to think before passing through the barrier.  

 

Harry opened his eyes to see a massive scarlet steam engine on a platform packed with people.  He looked back over his shoulder to see a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been with the words _Platform 9 ¾_ engraved on it.  Through the arch he could still see the people passing the gait way by with no one the wiser.  The guard he had spoken with was lazily leaning on a pillar a few yards away, yawning sleepily.

 

Turning back around Harry could see Mrs. Malfoy speaking to her two children.  “Now Draco, do behave yourself while at school and remember to keep an eye on your sister.  You are to keep her out of mischief not aid and abet her scheming!” Turning to her daughter she began to fuss with the girl's hair, “Ankaa, I do wish you would have let me style your hair.  You should look your best if you are to be sorted into Slytherin before the entire school.”

 

Ducking free of her mother’s hands, Ankaa said, “I’ll be fine mother!  I can put it up myself on the train. I would rather not have to were the pins in my hair all day long, thank you!”  Ankaa suddenly turned to Harry and grabbed his cart handle. “Now if you’ll excuse me mother, father, I really should help Harry sort where to stow his things.”  With a quick nod of goodbye, she began to lead Harry swiftly to one of the rear train cars.

 

As they hurried off, Harry could hear Mr. Malfoy whisper to Draco, “Hurry and catch up with your sister.  Make sure to help her with the heavy lifting.”

 

Draco trotted quickly to catch up with Harry and his sister.  They pushed their carts through the crowd as quickly as they could and reached the luggage compartment just after a large family, all with bright red hair.  The little girl with them was already bawling about being left behind, while the mother and father tried to console her that it would only be for one more year.  Behind them two boys who were obviously twins were wrestling with a younger redhead over a trunk.

 

“Want a hand, ickle Ronnie kins?”

 

“Back off George. I can do it myself!” cried the younger boy.  

 

“Oy, Fred! Put your back into it! Can’t you see that ickle Ronnie needs our help?!”

 

Harry and the other’s quickly rerouted their carts to the second door of the compartment and began to load their trunks.  Draco hopped up into the train and pulled as Harry pushed the trunks in one after another, but when he politely reached for Ankaa’s trunk her face turned cold.  “I can do it myself thank you. I am not an invalid.” She turned from him in a huff and hefted the trunk with both her hands towards the train.

 

Drako glanced around wildly and made a grab for the trunk, but she kept it out of his reach.  “Ankaa!” he whined, “do you want to get me into trouble with father?”

 

Ankaa shoved past her twin, but he managed to take it from her and place it up on the storage rack.  Harry quietly watched the pair argue as the made their way to go say one last goodbye to their parents.  They walked back to the platform and began hugging their mother.

 

Harry turned away as his heart tightened painfully.  He had never been hugged by either his aunt or uncle and as he looked out over the families filling the platform he felt tears prick at the back of his eyes.  Feeling foolish, Harry ducked into the nearest passenger compartment to get away from all the happiness he didn’t deserve and plowed right into someone. Hedwig swqaked in outrage at the sudin jostling and Harry did his best to remain upright while keeping a firm grip on her cage.  The small redhead boy from earlier didn’t even pause as he scrambled out the door.

 

“What’s wrong Ronnie! We just-”

 

“-wanted to show you-”

 

“- Lee Jordan’s new-”

 

“-pet _tarantula_!”  

 

The twins, George and Fred (Harry wasn’t sure who was who), crashed back on the bench seats as they laughed hysterically.  When they began to finally settle down Harry inched forward and asked tentatively, “Is-is it ok if I sit in hear? Everywhere else is full.”  

 

“Sure! We won’t-”

 

“-bite.  We were just-”

 

“-going to return this-”

 

“-box to Lee.”  One of the twins lifted the lid on the box and trust it towards Harry.  He peered into the box at the large, harry spider, but Harry was not afraid.  He was used to spiders in his cupboard and just because it was bigger didn’t mean it was evil.  He kind of felt sorry for it, all cooped up in that tiny box.

 

“What’s that?” said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry’s lightning scar.  

 

“Blimey,” said the other.  “Are you-?”

 

"He _is_ ,” said the first.  “Aren’t you?” he added to Harry.

 

“What?”

 

“ _Harry Potter,_ ” they chorused.  

 

“Oh, him,“ said Harry.  “I mean, yes, I am.”

 

The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red.  Thankfully, Ankaa and Draco came in the door just then. They still seemed to be in the middle of an argument, but as she noticed the tension between Harry and the two other boys, Ankaa paused.  “Is everything alright Harry?” she said while watching the redheads warily. 

 

Coming to their senses Fred and George stood to head for the door.  

 

“We’d best be off George, the princess-”

 

“-might have our heads if we don’t-”

 

“-leave her chick alone!”

 

“Hey Fred.  Do you think-”

 

“-Ronnie might still be in the train hall?” they chorused together with matching evil smirks.  Harry had never been gladder that Duddly did not have a twin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fic written using AO3 and I am still learning how to tag properly. I will continue to add tags as I go, but if I have something tagged wrongly or if you know of one that I should add just write it in the comments bellow!


	7. Snakes are Observant

Ankaa:

 

Ankaa watched Harry carefully as she sat across from him in the train compartment.  Something just wasn’t right. This was _The-Boy-Who_ - _Lived_? He definitely seemed like a harbinger for the light, or at least he didn't have an ounce of darkness that she could see aside from the blemish on his forehead.  But he hardly seemed like a warrior or hero either. He was a few inches shorter than she was and while the muggle clothes he wore hung off him, they did not disguise the frail shoulders protruding through the threadbare cloth.  Everytime the train would rattle he would startle like a deer, glancing around wildly before hunching back into the bench seat protectively. She continued to watch him closely as the train continued on, but she wasn’t sure until the snack trolley came by.  

 

Draco was prattling on about nothing important and Ankaa was doing her best to tune him out when the door slid open.  “Anything from the trolley dears,” said the plump old witch behind the cart. Harry bolted to his feet and raised his hand into a protective gesture, just as she had seen when she had touched his shoulder at the station to get his attention earlier.  Once Harry realized the witch was not a threat, he relaxed slightly, his cheeks coloring with embarrassment. He offered to purchase their snacks along with his large armful, but both Draco and she declined politely, paying for their own share of sugary spoils.  As Ankaa watched, Harry carefully peeled back the foil from a pumpkin pastie and began to savor every bite, not missing a single crumb. Unwilling to let these kinds of questions go unasked, she said gently, “I heard that you went to live with muggles. What were they like?”

 

“Horrible - Well, not all of them.  My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though.  Wish I’d had a twin wizard or witch.”

 

“Merlin, I’m glad I wasn’t raised by muggles,” said Draco, “Can you imagine coming to Hogwarts not knowing anything about wizarding culture?  Hogwarts doesn’t even have a class to teach you about it. Is it any wonder that muggle-borns stumble through life offending everyone in their path?”

 

Rolling her eyes at her brother’s insensitivity, she turned to Harry who was looking rather worried.  Attempting to distract him she said, “At least Severus makes sure all the Slytherins are educated in social etiquette. He interviews every new student to get a feel for their background and family life.  Then he gives students that need assistance extra research assignments geared toward politics and history to give them a better understanding of the cultural differences. I think Ravenclaw also does this, but not as extensively.  Hardly anyone notices that Slytherin has half bloods and muggle borns, because they are so well integrated into wizarding culture by the end of their first year.”

 

“Who is Severus?” asked Harry.

 

“It would be Professor Snape to you,” said Draco, “He is the Slytherin Head of House and our godfather.”  

 

“The other heads of house are Professor Sprout for Hufflepuff, Professor Flitwick for Ravenclaw, and Professor McGonagall for Gryffindor,” said Ankaa.  

 

“But everyone in Hufflepuff are too polite to really need much training and Nobody in Gryffindor cares about tradition,”  said Draco in a disgruntled voice.

 

Realizing that they had strayed from the topic she had been aiming for, Ankaa tried to redirect the conversation.  “Surely you have heard some of this before from your family. They were related to your mother and would have know you would be a wizard too.  They must have told you what little they knew about our world right?”

 

Harry looked at the floor.  “My aunt and uncle don’t like magic,” he said his voice hardening with anger as he continued, “They didn’t tell me anything.”  Then he launched into his story explaining how before Hagrid had come to find him he knew nothing of Voldemort, wizards, or even his parents.  “Up until a few days ago, I thought my parents had died in a car crash,” he spat out the words like they tasted foul.

 

Harry was still staring at the floor.  He had not met either of their eyes even once while he spoke.  Ankaa looked at her brother, who was staring at her in shock. Slowly she moved to sit next to Harry and watched as he flinched from the slight brushing of her hair on his arm.  She tilted her head so she could see below the fringe of the boy’s messy hair. “Harry, your aunt and uncle did more than just get upset when you did accidental magic, didn’t they?” she whispered gently.  

 

Harry didn’t answer.  He simply pulled his legs up to his chest, wrapped his arms around them protectively, and rested his head on his knees.  Ankaa carefully placed a hand on his back and began rubbing slow soothing circles. He still flinched slightly, but eventually settled under her ministrations.  Ankaa looked up and met Draco’s eyes.

 

“I hate muggles,” he said fervently.  

 

***

 

Some time passed before Harry finally calmed down, but once he finally looked up his face was red with embarrassment.  Draco seeing his distress, jumped in to start filling Harry in on his favorite subject - Quidditch. While they talked, Ankaa decided to head to the loo to change into her robes while they boys changed in the compartment.  

 

She grabbed a small bag of toiletries and her robes and shut the door behind her on the sound of Draco’s enthusiastic explanation of the purpose for each of the 4 balls in Quidditch.  As she turned the corner she nearly ran into a round faced boy. He looked up at her tearful and asked, “Sorry, but have you seen a toad at all?”

 

“Sorry, no,” Ankaa said.  The boy barely acknowledged her as he turned and reached for the door she had just closed.  “Wait!” she said as she pulled him back. The boy startled and nearly fell at her sudden shout.  Gaining her composure again she said in a calmer voice, “ I know your toad is not in that compartment, there is no reason to disturb them.”  

 

“But I checked everywhere else,” the boy said in distress.  

 

“I will check again just for you, but let me do it.  Draco will freak if he hears there is a toad on the loose.”  The boy nodded and she slid back into the compartment. She calmly cheeked it over and when the boys asked she merely told them that there was a pet spider loose on the train.  Draco barely paused in his enthusiastic spiel on the best Quidditch teams.

 

Once done, Ankaa turned to the boy hoovering in the doorway and shut the door behind her.  The boy leaned against the train window looking despondent. “What’s your name?”

 

“Neville”

 

“Ok, Neville.  Why are you so worried about your pet toad?  Most students starting school would be glad to be getting rid of such a long lived and out of fashion pet.”  

 

Neville’s eyes flashed with anger as he said, “Why is your brother afraid of toads, but not spiders?”  

 

She considered him for a moment before taking him up on the deal.  “My first act of accidental magic. Draco and I had been arguing over a toy when we were barely 1 year old and I became upset.  My magic lashed out for me and turn Draco into a toad. It took my parents two weeks to turn him back, but I never got in trouble because my parents were so excited that I performed magic.  He was a bit traumatized.” Smirking she turned back to Neville and waited for him to tell his story in return.

 

There was a long moment before Neville realized that she was waiting for him to reciprocate with his own story.  With a self deprecating smile he began to speak, “I never got to meet my real parents. Trever, the toad, was my mother’s.  She found him one day while she was working in the garden and after a few years he bonded to her as her familiar. He is the only thing I have left of her.”  He whispered the last sentence in despair as he slid down to the floor and held his head in his hands.

 

Ankaa kneeled by the boy, pulled his hands away from his face and whispered a cleaning spell to clear the tears from his face.  “I promise to keep my eyes open for any signs of where he could be and let you know if I see him, but we must get changed. The train will be arriving soon.” Neville nodded once before stumbling away.  

 

Once changed Ankaa hurried back to her compartment to find the boys already in their school robes as well and waiting for her.  She had just sat down on the bench seat when a colorful package rolled in through the cracked compartment door. She made eye contact with Draco for a moment before jumping up and using her wand to send the pumpkin pastie soaring through the door.  A moment later there was a pop and a muffled cry. Opening the door cautiously all three students peered out at an interesting sight. The Weasley twins stood against the adjacent wall covered from head to toe in orange goo.

 

Ankaa smirked at the disgruntled twins, but her expression softened into a smile at the sound of Harry’s unrestrained giggles from behind her.  

 


	8. Hogwarts

Harry:

 

Harry was not very happy about having to leave Hedwig and everything he owned on the train, but Ankaa and Draco had assured him that they would be returned to him as soon as he was sorted and they returned to their new living quarters. Harry was beginning to trust them though and that scared him even more.  Especially after what Hargid had told him about Slytherin, but Ankaa and Draco didn’t seem like dark wizards and had treated him like he was any other person. They haven't called him a freak or treated him like he had to be perfect. They had just tried to help. Draco had shared his love of Quidditch and Ankaa shared her political knowledge.  Sill lost in his thoughts Harry jumped at the sound of someone shouting.

 

“First years, this way!”

 

Harry spotted Hagrid, but Draco and Ankaa hurried him past to grab a boat for just the three of them.  As the fleet of boats sailed across the lake, Harry stared open mouthed at the night sky. He had never seen so many stars in his life.  Ankaa and Draco were leaned back as they took turns naming constellations. “How do you guys know so many,” he asked.

 

Ankaa tilted her head back down to look at him, “I was named for a star in a constellation.”  

 

“Which one?”

 

Draco smirked and answered for his sister, “Ankaa is the name of the brightest star in the constellation Phoenix.  Mother named me for the Greek word for dragon.” He tilted his head back with an arrogant smirk, “Every Malfoy is named for something pertaining to fire and light to shine all the brighter in the dark.”  

 

Ankaa rolled her eyes and elbowed her brother.  

 

That’s when they heard a noise.  Both Draco and Ankaa froze. Harry leaned down and peered below their shared bench.  “ _Croooak_ ” Draco leapt into the air and crash landed onto Harry’s face.  Harry held his nose and blinked to clear his eyes as Ankaa reached below the bench and retrieved the toad.  Draco flinched, “Keep that thing away from me!”

 

“Easy Draco.  This must be Trevor.  He’s someone’s pet. A boy on the train was looking for him.  As soon as we hit land, I will make sure he goes to his rightful owner.”  Ankaa held the toad firmly in both hands while the boat rocked.

 

Draco’s eyes narrowed, “There never was a spider.  You were looking for that thing!”

 

“Yes and no.  There was a spider loose on the train.  It just wasn’t lost,” she said with a smirk.  Draco grumbled at that, but remained relatively quiet until they reached the shore.  

 

***

 

Harry fidgeted nervously as he waited outside the double doors.  An older witch named Professor McGonagall had given them a long speech, most of which Harry had already learned from Ankaa and Draco.  After the Profesor left, Ankaa had introduced him to a boy named Neville. He was blubbering mess when she handed him the toad that they found in their boat.  Harry reached out and patted the boy’s shoulder awkwardly in an attempt to calm him while Ankaa helped get the Toad back into the terrarium. They had just managed to shut the door on the struggling frog when the double doors swung open on their own and all the students were herded into the hall.  

 

Harry’s eyes grew large at the sight of hundreds of students sitting around four tables and staring at them.  The only thing that distracted him from the prying eyes was the hat that a professor dropped on a stool, that proceeded to sing.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments about what you think of the story so far!


	9. The Sorting Hat

The Sorting Hat:

 

The Sorting Hat finished his perfectly crafted song and preened before the new crop of gawking first years.  This song was one of his finest works and he had spent all year writing and rewriting it. One of Godric’s cubs, now a lioness in her own right, was giving this years roll call.  First up was a young girl with blond curls, Hannah Abbott. He could already sense her carrying warmth as he was dangled over her head. His cry of  _ Hufflepuff _ rang out at the same time as he brushed the fair curls.  

 

It went on for a while, one after another, every mind unique.  900 years of time and magic and he had never met someone who wouldn’t be important.  One by one he placed the children in the homes of his creators, all their pasts, presents, and potentials laid before him.  When he fell on a head of bushy curls he quickly searched her thoughts. He found despair and a sense of abandonment from parents with little time for her.  A driving need to prove her intelligence and worth to her family and find friends. Underneath the hurt and lack of self worth he found a small pocket of hope that her thirst for knowledge and love of books would bridge the gap between her and her peers to create friendships.  She had recently had a promising encounter with another witch that made her believe this to finally be a possibility after years of being shunned by the other students at her muggle school. Her thirst for recognition and knowledge contradicted which house she should be placed in, but The Sorting Hat was more inclined to promote her more positive feelings.  “ _ Ravenclaw _ ,” he finally shouted.  

 

The Hat sorted a few more students before he came upon another puzzle.  Truth be told, he loved it when a challenge would break the monotony of the sorting.  Everyone had traits of all houses but few were balanced enough to truly make sorting difficult.  This was one such student. Neville Longbottom tripped on his way to the platform, but settled onto the stool gently.  As the hat settled onto the child’s disheveled curls the Sorting Hat paused as he filtered through the memories. The boy showed great loyalty and fierce protectiveness through his weekly visits to his parents that could no longer register his presence let alone the heartfelt love he put into caring for them.  He was already showing wisdom beyond his years, though it was hard won through pain and grief. He held deep seeded ambition and determination to prove to his family that he was not the magicless screw-up they all believed him to be. As the hat dug deeper into Neville’s mind trying to make a decision he discovered something very interesting.  A latent, ancient magic he had only seen two other times this century. Decision made The Sorting Hat triumphantly shouted, “ _ Hufflepuff! _ ”  

 

It had been af few years since he had had cause for more than two hat stalls in one sorting, but another arrived soon after Neville.  “Ankaa Malfoy,” called the professor and The Sorting Hat settled into an easy match. A girl with porcelain skin and piercing green eyes was next on the seat.  As The Sorting Hat was dropped on her head he had to subtly widen his brim to encompass her extravagantly woven hair and cover her eyes. It was easier to infiltrate the mind when it was not distracted.  Or at least it was supposed to be. There was a smokey fog barring him from the him from her thoughts. The hat probed and prodded to no avail. It had already been ten minutes before a voice drawled, “Are you finished yet.”  

 

Already thoroughly annoyed the hat snapped, “Let me in! It is my right to have clear sight, so that I might choose the house that will determine your plight.”  

 

“You have no  _ right _ to  _ my _ thoughts!” the voice roared before forcing the hat out entirely.  

 

Baffled by the powerful occlumency by a mere child The Sorting Hat knew what to do.  “ _ Slytherin! _ ” the hat proclaimed.  After all the only person to ever repel him had been Salazar.  

 

At least the other Malfoy held to pattern and was sorted before the hat even brushed his blond locks.  There were several more easy matches before the room became silent, quickly followed by furious whisperings.  His brim fell over a small head, glasses and all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I’m evil, but sometimes the temptation is too great.


	10. The Godfather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gryffindor!!!

Harry:  

 

Harry’s shoes dragged along the flagstones as he followed the herd of his new housemates.  He wasn’t sure which way they were going or even if the stairs beneath his feet were going up or down.  They were definitely  _ moving _ and someone ahead was yelling for them to wait for the stairs to shift back.  

 

He couldn't remember the last time he had had a full meal and he had gone a little overboard when presented with so many different foods he liked.  Now a sleepy haze was fogging his thoughts and all he wanted was a bed,  _ any _ bed.  Finally the stairs “realigned”, whatever that meant, but Harry couldn’t see past all the other first years. They were moving through the halls again though and he caught a glimpse of portrait of a woman in an elegant gown before he was herded into his new common room.  

 

Exhausted, Harry began looking around the spacious room for someone to direct him as to where the beds were.  Unfortunately, his wish was not to be. Suddenly a hidden door to his right swung open and pale man with pitch black hair and eyes that matched his equally dark robes strode into the room in a swirl of heavy cloth.  The older students immediately fell into neat rows with the oldest in the back and the first years fumbling in the front until they too were in order. The man glared down past a rather large nose at the gathered students while he waited for their undivided attention.  

 

“First years and Prefects remain here with me.  All others will find your yearly placement exams, class schedules, and a list of  both Hogwarts and Slytherin House rules on your bed. Additionally, all second years will find a list of extracurricular classes.  You will select at least three courses to begin exploring in preparation for your third year classes. There is a form attached that you will fill out with the selected classes, date and times you are available for schedule advisory meetings so that I can prepare exploratory assignments for you to complete in your free study period to determine if those classes are indeed the right choice for you.  These will be turned in to me along with your annual placement exam by the end of the week. You are dismissed.” The first years obediently waited while the upperclassmen filtered away leaving them alone with Professor Snape and six older students, presumably the Prefects. 

 

“My name is Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master, Head of Slytherin House.  You may call me Professor Snape. In this house you will be required to address your Professors with their proper titles and your fellow students with their familial names.  To do otherwise is a great sign of disrespect, unless given direct permission from said student to call them by their given name. Other additional rules beyond those belonging solely to Hogwarts are as follows.  All Slytherin students are required to take a placement test at the beginning of every school year to judge if you are adequately prepared for all of your subjects for the coming year. If you are found lacking in any subject you will be given supplementary assignments until you have proven to be equal to or succeed your peers.  All first years are required to attend an entrance interview with me to determine whether your social skills and manners are adequate to succeed in the wizarding world. Those lacking in social graces will attend mandatory nightly etiquette classes with an upperclassman until further notice. As a Slytherin you are to conduct yourself as such.  No house infighting will be permitted in the common room or in the surrounding school. If you have need for a disagreement, you may do so in you personal chambers or in one of the secret rooms with the use of a privacy spell or six. You will also be aloud to confront each other during dueling club every Friday night. Despite any personal opinions you _ will _ present a united front towards the other houses.  The Slytherin House is discriminated against enough do to recent public opinion, there is no need to encourage this by showing off your weaknesses.  If you are caught breaking any of the aforementioned rules you will lose all dueling privileges including participation and observation, double any received detentions, and acquire additional assignment as I see fit. Any questions?”  

 

Harry tentatively raised his hand.  

 

The man’s already severe countenance turned even darker.  “Ah, Potter. Our new  _ celebrity _ . What can I do for you, ”  he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.  

 

Harry paused in confusion, but when the man’s gaze hardened further he hurriedly asked his question.  “What-what happens if a student gets so many extra assignments that they can’t keep up with their classes?”  Harry was sure that he would have trouble with placement tests for subjects he didn’t even know what they were and he was bound to mess up with names at some point.  Although, Ankaa and Draco had not seemed to mind. 

 

The Professor’s glare was practically arctic by this point.  His eyes never strayed from Harry as he answered, “If your academics and/or behavior become that poor you will be banned from all extracurricular activities and all free time will be spent with me doing supervised study.  In extreme cases I have required students to give up their Christmas and even some of their summer breaks to make up their work.” After a long pause where no one spoke Professor Snape said, “My first entrance interview will be held in my office after tomorrow's classes with Miss Bulstrode.  The rest of you will find the schedule for your interview dates and times on your bead with your other notices and exams. Exams are due at the end of the week and are spelled to burst into flames if you cheat in any way. You will not be able to make them up. That is all.” 

 

The first years watched in silence as he left through another hidden passage similar to the one he came in from, closing the door with a resounding bang.  Then they were directed by the prefects to their personal living quarters, where Harry barely registered the spacious living area before he found his bedroom and promptly fell asleep while still dressed.  

 

***

 

Harry startled from his sleep the next morning by a persistent knocking at his door.  Thinking it was uncle Vernon at the cupboard door he quickly sat up in his bed, but then stopped to wonder where the bed had come from.  Finally his memories of the past few weeks began to filter back to him. His next thought was, after years of sleeping on a hard floor or a thin, lumpy, old mattress why in the world would sleeping in a soft, warm bed make his bones and muscles ache  _ more _ ?  The bruise on his left thigh was throbbing and right rib twinged painfully.  Eventually the persistent knock persuaded him to roll out of his first ever bed and stumble out of his bedroom and towards his front door.  There in his doorway stood none other than Ankaa Malfoy neatly draped in Slytherin robes and her hair pulled up in another intricate weave. Harry felt his face turn scarlet.  

 

At the sight of his disheveled state she quickly averted her jade green eyes and said, “At least  _ you're _ dressed.  That gives you a little of a head start on Draco.  You both need to meet me down stairs as soon as possible so we can begin introductions with our new house mates.”  

 

Harry watched her turn on her heels and head back down the stairs, before shutting his door and quickly getting ready for his first day of classes.  As he exited his bedroom for the second time that morning he paused to take in his surroundings. The bedroom had a large four poster bed made of rich dark walnut and dressed with a fluffy emerald green comforter.  At the end of his bed was his trunk still packed with all his things, but the room also held a dark wooden wardrobe with a full length mirror on the inside of the door and a chest of drawers for clothes. Off on the left side of the room was a small bathroom with a sink, toilet, and deep bath tub set into the floor that reminded Harry of a miniature pool.  Between the bedroom and the front door there was a small living space with rough grey stone walls with a tall ceiling that opened up to a skylight that let in a view of the morning light shining through the green water of the lake. He could even see something that looked like a huge tentacle curling over the window. It also was furnished with a small couch, a reading chair, a work desk, a plush green throw rug, several empty bookshelves, and two bookshelves that were already stocked full of books.  Harry longed to explore, not used to having so much space for himself, but he knew Ankaa would not take kindly to being kept waiting so he hurried out of the room. 

 

As he opened his door he nearly toppled Draco over.  “Between you and my sister, I’m done fore!” he exclaimed, shooting Harry a glare.  

 

“Sorry,” Harry mumbled.  They turned and began walking down the stairs together.  Thinking back on his conversation with Ankaa he continued with a smirk, “Your sister mentioned that you answered your door in your knickers.”  

 

Draco’s cheeks began to color, “How was I supposed to know it was her.  The stairs are supposed to be jinxed to keep girls out of the boys’ wing!”

 

Harry snickered at the blond all the way to the common room.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I didn't make you wait in suspense for too long. As for the intro and misdirection, Fred and George made me do it.


	11. The Court and its Politics

Ankaa:

 

Ankaa tapped her toe impatiently while she waited for her brother and Harry to get to the Slytherin common room.  They had a lot of work to do before the other students came down and she estimated they only had about 30 minutes before the early risers and fastidious groomers began filtering down.  Finally she spotted them coming down the steps. Draco looked insulted while Harry was try and failing not to laugh. Quickly she walked up and grabbed Harry and Draco’s arms and dragged them back through the secret room she had found last night.  As she shut the door behind them and locked it, she felt the privacy wards ingrained in the walls of the small room snap into place. The Slytherin dungeon had a multitude of hidden passages rooms and studies for anyone clever enough to find them to use.  

 

She had been unable to sleep last night and had explored the common room almost until midnight.  In that time she found three hidden exits for quick escapes, two hidden rooms besides this one, and a secret passage to the kitchens.  This one was behind one of the common room tapestries and the door could only be opened if the room was unoccupied and if you pressed the second tan brick to the left of the tapestries fringe.  She especially like how it already had extensive wards built into the walls. Inside the room was small but it contained two green glass tiffany lamps, a couch and a plush reading chair. She curled up with her legs tucked under her in the chair while the boys were left to take their seats on the couch.  

 

“Care to explain why we are awake at this ungodly hour or how you made it up the boys staircase?” drawled Draco as he lowered himself onto the green velvet cushions of the couch.  

 

Ankaa ignored her brother’s grumbling and asked, “Harry, have you ever spent any time with other purebred wizards?”

 

“Pure- what?”

 

Ankaa turned back to Draco, “See?  This is why we don’t have time to sleep in.”  

 

Draco was staring open mouthed at Harry as he whispered in a hoarse voice, “Yeah, we have a lot to cover.”  

 

“Purebloods are wizards and witches that only have purely magical backgrounds, no muggles in their families,” explained Ankaa.  

 

Draco picked up the conversation when Harry stared at them in confusion, “Because your mother was a muggle-born ( a witch with two muggle parents) and your father was a pureblood, you are a half-blood.”  

 

“Ok so Pureblood means all wizard, muggle-born means all non-wizard, and half-blood means some kind of mix.  But I don’t get what this has to do with me. Why would it matter?” said Harry. 

 

Ankaa watched him for a moment before trying to explain, “The closest thing I can compare it to is muggle royalty.  Muggles have a governmental monarchy based on lineage. Nothing really makes them special other than their heritage and if you have enough of royal blood you are deemed adequate to rule.  Purebloods are the same in that they have the most money, power, and influence. Almost all the heads in wizarding government are purebloods or half-bloods in good standing.”

 

“As the sole heir to the Potter estate you are in very good standing and as  _ the boy who lived _ you are even more so. But we are running out of time so we will just cover the basics,” said Draco. “First of which is that you have to stop calling us by our first names.”

 

Harry’s eyes grew wide with hurt, “Sorry, I didn’t realize I was being rude until Professor Snape mentioned it.”  

 

“Harry,” Ankaa reaches for his fisted hands but he pulled out of her reach “It’s not that we are mad at you.  It has to do with wizarding culture. Wizards take family heritage very seriously. In higher society, like at public events, it is more important that others know what family you belong to and what connections they have than that they know who you are. When we are alone like this or with other mutual friend you can use whichever names you like.  After all we are already friends” 

 

“Using family names just saves time and money to know exactly what the consequences could be for angering someone from an influential family,” Draco said with a smirk.  “But we don’t have time for the intricacies of governmental politics. All you need to know is where you stand in the school hierarchy and then just follow our lead when we are out in the Slytherin common room or in any large social gathering such as, the dining hall.”  

 

 “Basically all you need to remember is that when out in public show as little emotion as possible, you never know who could turn out to be an enemy and it’s best to not let them know your weaknesses.  This mask will be your shield around unknown variables,” said Ankaa, “such as the jealousy and greed of students wanting to use you to make themselves more popular.” 

 

“As the Potter heir and  _ the boy who lived _ you have very few above you in the hierarchy.  Those people are, adults, professors, 7th years, some 6th years, and of course  _ me _ ,” said Draco.  

 

Ankaa rolled her eyes at her brother, but continued without comment, “When wizards meet for the first time or during a social event the wizard that is lower in the hierarchy will bow first.  Not a full bow, just a simple tilt of the head in acknowledgement.” 

 

“Men do not break eye contact, women lower their eyes.  At least they are _ supposed _ to,”  Draco gave Ankaa a pointed look.  

 

“There is no way I am taking my eyes off of someone I don’t trust!  Even if it  _ is _ polite.”  

 

They spent the last ten minutes they had going over names, but eventually they decided on using hand signals until they had another chance to go into depth on wizarding politics

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slightly boring chapter. But the next one will start the Remembrall indecent.


	12. The Remembrall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been debating weather to wait and post this chapter with the next one, but have decided to go ahead. Fair WARNING though, their is a cliff hanger so if you want to wait until Thursday for the next chapter STOP reading now!

Harry:  

 

Harry’s first few days of school went by as normally as could be expected for a school full of magic.  He was late to his Transfiguration class on his first day because he got stuck on a trap step on the stairs.  It had taken Draco and Ankaa twenty minutes to get him out because Peeves, the school poltergeist, had been pulling on his leg from under the stairs.  Thankfully the Bloody Baron had come along and scared him off, but Professor McGonagall had not been pleased. Professor Snape had not been much better, but at least he mostly ignored Harry while in public.  The oddest thing Harry was having trouble getting used to was the way the other students acted around him. 

 

When Ankaa and Draco had formally introduced him to the Slytherin House there had been several students waiting to meet him.  Harry didn’t understand why something that happened when he was a baby, something he couldn’t even remember, would mean so much to people he didn’t even know.  There where also several older student that quickly offered to ‘take him under their wing’. Ankaa and Draco quickly steered him clear of those and introduced him to some of their year mates and upperclassmen that they already knew personally and trusted.  

 

Although Harry’s emotionless mask was still deplorable (Draco’s words) the signals where a big help, Harry was not to speak to students that Ankaa or Draco did not speak to first and he only bowed if one of them bowed first.  They also had hand signals for wait, speak, friendy, or foe so Harry rarely had to worry about who to trust. The only students he wasn’t sure about were Crabbe and Goyle. Draco obviously thought they could be trusted, but Ankaa signaled for him to remain wary.  Harry thought they remind him too much of Dudley. 

 

They were a few weeks into school now and Harry was at the breakfast table chatting with a fellow first year named Zambini.  Harry was really starting to like him and his friend Davis. They were both half-bloods but had at least one parent with high ranking in police.  Ankaa seemed to approve, but Draco seemed a bit miffed at the added company. Zambini was in the middle of telling the story of how his third step father had mysteriously vanished when the owl post arrived.  

 

Harry never received mail from his relatives so he didn’t even bother to look up until his snowy owl, Hedwig, landed on his shoulder startling him badly.  There was a letter from Hagrid asking him to come to his hut for tea that weekend. Suddenly Harry’s letter was replaced with a tin of homemade biscuits. 

 

“What’s this Harry, you never get mail from those _ muggles _ ,” asked Draco.  “They better not be threatening you.”  

 

“Give it back Draco!” Harry said in a huff.  “It’s just Hagrid asking us to tea this weekend.  I  _ was _ going to invite you but if your going to be a prat..”  

 

Draco quickly handed the letter back muttering something that sounded suspiciously like manipulative little snake.  

 

“You’ll have to write him back saying you can’t go anyway Harry,” whispered Ankaa over Harry’s shoulder.  

 

“Why?”

 

“You have your interview with Professor Snape that day at the same time,” she pointed out.  

 

Sighing Harry began rummaging through his bag for some spare parchment to write Hagrid back.  Maybe they could meet the next weekend. 

 

“Hey, listen to this!” exclaimed Davis before she began launching into a news article about Gringotts.  

 

Harry leaned over to Ankaa and whispered, “That’s the vault I visited with Hagrid the day I met you and Draco.  I wonder what could have been in that package?”

 

“I don’t know, but it would be interesting to find out.  Do you mind if I come with you and Draco to visit Hagrid next week?”  

 

“Of course not.  The more the merrier.”  

 

***

 

After breakfast, they were exiting the great hall when Harry found his way blocked by a group of Hufflepuffs surrounding Neville who was showing off some kind of glass ball filled with red smoke.  Harry and Ankaa joined in with the other Hufflepuffs to try to help Neville remember what he had forgotten, while Draco waited off to the side looking annoyed. Harry guessed right that Neville had forgotten Professor Flitwick's test, but the remembrall was still red.  Hannah Abbott figured out that Neville had forgotten that the Hufflepuffs had astronomy class that night, but the red smoke continued to circulate within the tiny orb. Finally, Ankaa reminded Neville about Professor Snape’s potions essay and the smoke faded to white. Well, until Neville forgot to breath.  

 

By this point Draco had given up on them entirely and left in a huff with Crabbe and Goyle to head to their next class.  He sulked for most of the day, but finally perked up right before their first flying lesson of the year. As they walked out to the biggest patch of green on Hogwarts front courtyard, Draco nearly bounced as he walked with Crabbe and Goyle flanking him.  His hands where in his pockets and when Harry was right next to him he could hear the other boy humming a quiet tune. 

 

They were scheduled to have flying lessons with the first year Gryffindors. The Slytherins, as per house rules, arrived together and took up the row of brooms facing the building while the Gryffindors filtered in a few at a time.  Many of the young Gryffindor students seemed uneasy as they approached the large group of Slytherins waiting patiently for class to start. Harry overheard one of the boys muttering about evil snakes and he recognized the red hair of the youngest Weasley. He vaguely remembered Fred and George calling him Ronnie or something like that.  

 

Fred and George seemed to have taken a liking to Harry and his friends and he wasn’t quite sure if he liked that.  They often played pranks on them in the halls, but they never had any malicious intent behind them, not like Dudley and his pals did when he was little.  Ankaa and Draco seemed to be enjoying the challenge though. They often dragged Harry off in their schemes to take revenge on the Weasley twins and their prank war was steadily escalating.  Their creativity and planning both amazed and scared Harry with their increasing intricacies. 

 

As their intimidating flying instructor walked out out onto the green, her golden hawk like eyes pinned the students where the stood.  As Madam Hooch stalked between the rows of brooms and students, Harry heard Ankaa whisper, “Gota love the hair.” Indeed the woman had hair that was a striking silver blue that offset her gold eyes dramatically and was cut short and fluffy like feather down.  At the tweet of her whistle the crowd of students shouted  _ up _ and Harry was pleased to see that the broom responded to him immediately.  He noticed Ankaa’s broom was also quick to respond while Draco’s hesitates until called a second time.  

 

It came time for the class to hover for the first time, but they were in the air for only a moment when one of the Gryffindors gave a startled cry.  A boy with ash brown hair and a large spattering of freckles was flailing about on his broom. The bristles on the back of his broom had burst into flames! In his haist to dismount the broom the boy reached for the broom-handle to give himself a hand hold to swing his leg over.  But when he accidentally pulled the handle up the broom shot him up into the air. He frantically tried to rebalance himself on the broom, but every move he made caused to broom to sway and duck like an angry bird, dive bombing the students. The added oxygen was fanning the flames and they were quickly consuming all the broom bristles.  He truly began to panic when the flames caught hold of his robes and he began wildly slapping at his clothes until finally the broom made a sudden turn and the boy plummeted to the ground. The broom sputtered and sank towards the dark forest. 

 

Madam Hooch ran over to him and cast a diagnostic spell finding severe burns on his hands and legs as well as a concussion.  She quickly ordered them to remain on the ground while she hurried the boy to the infirmary and fire called Hagrid to check and make sure the forest didn’t burn down.  

 

Once Madam Hooch was out of site the students fell into disorganized clusters as they began relieving the epic crash.  Harry hoped that the other boy was ok, but the Gryffindors didn’t seem too concerned. In fact, it sounded like the boy caught fire quite often.  He turned to ask Draco if it was normal for Gryffindors to ignore serious injuries to their own, but he was not in their usual circle. He finally located him off in the shade of a tree with Crabbe and Goyle.  Curious Harry went over to investigate. 

 

Draco was playing with something in his hand with his back to Harry, while Crabbe and Goyle laughed.  When Harry caught sight of what Draco was twirling in the air he stopped dead in his tracks. “Draco? What do you have there?”  Draco had the decency to look a little sheepish as he turned to face is friend, but the tone of warning in Harry’s voice had drawn the attention of a near by group of Gryffindors.  

  
  


To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who knows who the poor kid on the broom was? He really needs to start wearing flame retardant as cologne.


	13. The Jealousy of Snakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is one day late. Yesterday was my last day of student teaching and I went out to celebrate. Hope you enjoy!

Draco:

 

Draco perked up when he gained Harry’s attention, but the look in Harry’s eyes was not amused. Of course he wasn’t, Harry didn’t have time for Draco anymore.   Then things got even worse when the nearby Gryffindors took interest. He knew this was going to end badly. Harry, not noticing the Gryffindors, asked in a low voice, “Is that Neville’s remembrall.”  

 

Draco glanced at the Gryffindors that were now starting to close in around them and tucked the orb against his side.  “Can we talk about this later?”

 

“Sure, if you reciprocate the favor by handing the ball to me before you break it,” said Harry in a stern voice.  Draco felt his chest swell with pride at Harry’s very Slytherin bargain, but his heart plummeted at his next words. “ _And_ you come with me to apologize to Neville.”  

 

Draco went rigid with outrage. _Apologize!_  If anyone should be apologizing it should be the great oaf who let his amphibian roam the school grounds attacking innocent bystanders.  But before he could defend himself, a red headed Gryffindor shoved Harry out of the way and accused “You're a thief! I saw a poor Hufflepuff kid playing with that after breakfast and you, a sneaky snake, took it from him!”  

 

Draco turned his frostiest glare on the obvious Weasley.  “Don’t you dare touch my friend.”

 

“You better give that back!” yelled the red head.  

 

“And I suppose your going to make me?” asked Draco.  He summoned his broom and kicked off the ground rising high into the air and turned to face the Gryffindor holding out the remembrall.  “Come and get it.” But it wasn’t the Weasley that flew up after him, but Harry. “What do you think your doing,” he whispered furiously.  

 

“Trying to get you to do the right thing before someone gets mad enough to knock you off your broom!”  

 

“If you hadn’t noticed, I was trying to _defend_ you, not fight you.  You don’t even know how to fly a broom!”  

 

“Give it here Malfoy. I’ll make sure gets back to Neville and I’ll tell him you found it. Just handed over and we can all go back to the ground.”  

 

Draco was stung, both from the use of his formal name and his implications. It was like they weren’t even friends!  “You think I stole _too_ don’t you!  Well for your information I _did_ find it!  I saw bouncing between peoples feet down the hallway after Transfiguration class and I picked it up out of harm's way!”  Harry looked a little taken aback, proving Draco right. “But if you think I’m so evil maybe I should leave it somewhere for him to find, like the roof!”  

 

Draco’s broom lifted higher out of Harry’s reach, but Harry quickly shot forward to block his path. Draco did a quick back flip and zoomed off in the opposite direction headed for the lake.  If Harry was going insist on an air fight, he would rather it be over water. He was almost to the lake shore when Harry dove up from under him to black his path again nearly causing Draco to plow right  into him. The sudden stop caused him to unbalance his seat and he had to hover to try to regain his balance. Harry took the momentary opening to zipped forward reaching for the globe Draco had tucked to his chest.  Seeing Harry’s lung, Draco rolled to the side, but Harry was quicker. His hand struck like a snake, reaching past Draco’s guard and pulling the Remembrall free.

 

No sooner had Harry turned his broom to face the cheering Gryffindors and stunned Slytherins than Professor McGonagall came storming out onto the green. _“Harry Potter!”_

 

***

 

Draco stood outside of  the Headmaster’s office as he mentally kicked himself for how badly things had gone off plan.  Harry now sat in the office, flanked by both McGonagall and Snape as they discussed his punishment with the Headmaster.  Draco rubbed his temple in frustration, but stopped when he realized he was copying his sister’s tendencies. _What was taking so long!_ He began pacing the hall once again but froze when he realized he was rubbing the bridge of his nose like his uncle often did.  Sighing he slid down the nearest wall until he was curled on the ground with his head in his hands.

 

Suddenly the door swung open and Draco scrambled to his feet.  In a swirl of dark cloth Professor Snap thundered out into the hallway, his stormy glare pinning  Draco where he stood.  They stood in silence as McGonagall and Harry filtered out. Once McGonagall left the snakes to their fate, Snape turned to them with a growl, “What did you imbeciles think you were doing. Wait- Let me answer that.  You _weren’t_ thinking. Do you even know how many rules you broke in the span of a few minutes!” The Professor took one angry step forward. “Engaging in in an argument in front of another house, engagement in a physical altercation also in front of another house, disobeying direct orders from another professor, and showing a complete lack of social etiquette.  You will each serve four detentions for the four broken rules. Potter, you will serve an additional two detentions on top of the four you received from me for the two that you received from Professor McGonagall for a total of eight detentions. At least Draco had the sense to land before he was caught. You will each find a scroll on your bed with a list of additional assignments as reprimands and you are both banned from dueling club until further notice.  Any … _questions_?”

 

“No sir,” they chorused.  

 

“Good,” he barked before striding away with an angry flourish.

 

Once left alone with Harry, Draco turned to him and swallowed his sizable pride, “My apologies Harry.  I don’t know what came over me.”

 

Harry was silent for a long time as they began the long trek to the Slytherin dungeons.  Thankfully, the halls were deserted as everyone was already in the dining hall. Draco wasn’t in the mood to eat in the crowded hall with all those eyes one them and Harry seemed to share that sentiment as neither mentioned a thought of food.   “That’s just it Draco, I don’t understand where this all came from. Why would you do something like this?” Harry asked.

 

Draco paused, but then answered in a slightly rushed voice,”I was simply going to let him stew for a bit before returning it.   Just a little payback for letting his stupid toad run rampant.”

 

“Maybe it’s just a hunch, but I don’t think that is why.  You looked to pleased when I noticed what you had, for one.  Or maybe I just don’t want to believe my friend is that petty.”  

 

Draco stopped in his tracks, both hurt by Harry’s words and soothed by his use of the word friend.  Sighing he gave in, “I was jealous all right? We have only been at Hogwarts for a little over a week and already you are making a tone of new friends.  You and Ankaa hardly pay me any attention at all anymore.”

 

Draco waited for the inevitable backlash, but froze when he heard strangled laughter instead.  “What in Merlin's name are you laughing at?”

 

“Sorry, I’m sorry,” Harry stuttered between giggles.  “But why in the world would you think something like that?  You and Ankaa are my best friends, Drew. I would never just replace you like that.  Besides, Ankaa said it was important for Slytherins to be well connected. I’m just trying to follow her example.”  

 

Draco was starting to relax for the first time in days as the stepped up to the hidden door by the Framed image of Merlin’s wife.  “Drew? What the heck kind of name is that?”

 

“It’s a nickname.”

 

“What is a nickname?  Its sounds like your just twisting my name around to make it more degrading.”  

 

“It’s a way of showing friendship.  A lot of the kids at my old school used them.  I always wanted one,” Harry said wistfully.

 

Draco caved, “Fine, but just this one time.  I like my own name just fine thank you.”

 

“Wouldn’t dream of it Drew,” Harry said with a smirk as the walked into the common room.  

 

When they entered the deserted common room they were surprised to hear music coming from the walls.  It sounded like a violin or something. Harry looked baffled, but Draco just groaned. “She’s going to kill me!”  

 

 


	14. The Wrath of Snakes

Ankaa:

 

Ankaa stood framed by the large picture window facing the coral reef at the bottom of the lake.  The bright blues, greens, and yellows of the coral glowed in the murky water while small colorful fish darted between them.  She stood relaxed and calm with her eyes half lidded as she watched the fish. Everything about her and the small secret study they had found last week exuded calm, except for the violin in her hand.  

 

The music moved quickly and erratically as her fingers danced elegantly over the strings.  High keening notes would quickly descend in a flurry of notes down to low menacing trilling notes and back again.  Every sound vibrating with her anger. She had picked this room as her hideout knowing Draco would come and finder her when he returned.  She had not activated the silencing wards. The longer he took the madder she was becoming. If he didn’t come and face her soon she was going to go and drag him in here herself.  

 

At that moment, Harry came walking into the room with a much more cautious Draco behind him.  She ignored them as she let her music wash over her and her message of fury reach them loud and clear.  It was a good thing her mother had taught her and Draco how to vent their pent up emotions with music starting at the age of five or Draco would have died long ago.  She let her fingers tremor out one last menacing low note before turning and facing Draco with all emotion washed clean of her features. “What were you thinking?” she whispered in a completely calm voice.  

 

Draco opened his mouth, but Ankaa beat him to it.  “Let me answer that for you. You  _ weren’t _ thinking. You were smarting your mouth off like some ruddy Gryffindor.”  Draco looked down as if he had been slapped. She ignored her twin’s discomfort and turned to Harry, her cool mask cracking with concern. “Are you alright Harry?  How badly were you punished?” 

 

“Eight detentions and six essays on anger management and diplomatic negotiations,” Harry mumbled.  

 

“ _ Six _ ? He only gave me two!” Draco exclaimed.  

 

“Shut  _ up _ , imbecile!” growled Ankaa as she rounded on Draco.  “That is light compared to what it could have been. Harry could of died, or worse been  _ expelled _ !  Do you want to be the reason he goes back to living with those  _ muggles _ !”  

 

Draco looked stunned, “They-they never would have expelled Harry.  He’s the-boy-who-lived!”

 

“Professor Snape and McGonagall were trying to push for it, but the Headmaster wouldn’t let them,” whispered Harry.  

 

Draco looked like he was going to be sick.  

 

Ankaa glared at her brother showing him no mercy.  “You will make this up to him Draco. You will help him with his essays before you start yours, you’ll wait for him outside any detention he serves that you do not share, and you’ll help him keep up with his class studies as usual.”  She paused in her tirade to look at Harry. 

 

He was looking between them like he was afraid she was going to hit Draco.  “He really doesn't have to do all that Ann…”

 

“Yes I do,” interrupted Dreco.  

 

Ankaa gave Harry a confused look at the shortening of her name, but chose to ignore it for now.  “How did you do on your placement tests?” 

 

Harry looked at his feet, “I got T’s in Potions, Transfiguration, and History.  D’s in Astronomy and Herbology. P’s in DADA and Charms. I’m not quite sure what all those mean, but I definitely got supplemental essays in all of them yesterday.”  

 

Ankaa rubbed her temples in frustration while Draco explained.  “T stands for Troll which is the worst you can get. D stands for dreadful and P stands for Poor which are both still failing grades.  Passing grades are A for Acceptable, E for Exceeds Expectations, and O for Outstanding.” 

 

“We will tutor you until you are all caught up.  Go grab your books and scrolls and we will start tonight,” said Ankaa.  

 

While they waited for Harry, Ankaa turned to Draco and asked, “What’s with the name?”  

 

“I don’t know.  Some kind of muggle way of showing affection I think.”  

 

They didn’t have time to dwell on the oddities for long before Harry returns with a disgusting amount of work.  This was going to take more than a few nights. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end of this side arch. But then again all I really write are tangents anyway. Leave comments below to tell me what you think!


	15. Entrance Interview

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know about you guys but I have been really excited for this chapter!

Harry:

 

It had nearly been five weeks since Harry started school at Hogwarts, but he still had not had his entrance interview with his head of house.  He was in fact the only student to have not had an interview. Professor Snape said the stall was so the interview did not interfere with his detentions, but those had ended three nights ago.  Harry wasn’t complaining. He hardly wanted to talk about his home life with a man that hated him, but the Professor seemed to be distracted by something else. Ankaa and Draco had also noticed the shift and Ankaa had even seen Snape tailing Professor Quirl through the halls late at night.  

 

She had apparently been sneaking to the library to do research on what could be in Hagrid’s package that could cause a break in at the bank.  Harry and Draco had completely forgotten about that news article after the incident with the remembrall. Ankaa on the other hand was never one to let a mystery go unsolved.  So far she had found an array of dangerous or valuable things of that size but had no way of narrowing the list down until they could speak to Hagrid. Harry was also eager to speak to his large friend, but all of his detentions and extra assignments had made it impossible so far.  

 

Not that any of them had much time to do anything but study.  Harry had tried many time to tell his two best friends that they didn’t have to help him study every night, but they refused to let him try to take on the mountain of work alone.  Harry had eventually stopped fighting and was now starting to actually know what some of his professors were talking about in class. They hoped to have all of Harry’s grades up to Acceptable or higher by Christmas break.  If they kept up the pace and he didn’t get any more detentions from Snape or McGonagall. Both of whom were keeping a very close eye on Harry for signs of trouble, but Harry was not much of a trouble maker and so far he had managed not to have any more negative interactions with his prickly professors.  

 

Unfortunately his luck was just about to run out.  When he returned to his room after his afternoon classes he found a notice charmed to stick to his door.  Professor Snape was apparently not too distracted for his interview after all. The scroll had today’s date, the location of Snape’s personal office and a time set for 3 hours from now for their meeting to begin.  Groaning, Harry pushed into his room and laid the the note on his end table by his chair. 

 

Harry started to unpack his books in preparation for his homework but stopped as soon as he pulled out his quill.  Stepping away from his desk he sat heavily in his chair. With all the late nights, excessive studying and essays, he didn’t have the energy to study  _ and _ face Snape in the same night.  He stared up at the circular domed skylight above him and decided to relax and reserve his strength for his interview with the intimidating man.  But before he could truly start to relax Harry noticed something interesting. There seemed to be a trail of stones that stuck out of the wall a little farther than any of the other rough stones, forming perfect hand holds.  Interest peaked Harry stood and walked over by the fireplace where the stones originated. 

 

Harry reached for the nearest stone and found the top rubbed smooth.  Someone had used these often. Harry climbed slowly, his small frame making it hard to reach all of the hand holds, but eventually he pulled himself over a small ledge that ran around the domed skylight with just enough room for him to stand.  Anyone else would have had to hunch over. He glanced around the space and found that the ledge was about 4 feet wide and carpeted with a plush dark green and silver carpet all the way around. There were several large throw pillows, some even big enough to act like muggle bean bags.  As well as, some small lamps fixed around the short wall below the glass dome and nooks and crannies filled with books protruding from the wall. 

 

Harry was looking at some of these books when there was a loud slap against the dome.  He jumped so high, he struck his head on the lower part of the dome and looked out blearily at the huge giant squid.  As he watched, the bahimoth slowly drifted into a nearby underwater cave and vanished from sight. 

 

No longer distracted, Harry gazed out at the lake.  The glass dome above his room was built into the lake bottom, surrounded by coral and tall seaweed like plants.  Small brightly colored fish darted through the water and Harry even thought he saw something that looked like a mermaid in the distance.  Harry laid back in one of the largest pillows and stared at the waterscape. He eventually drifted to sleep. 

 

***

 

Harry was startled from his nap, by the loud bang of his door swinging out to hit the wall.  “ _ Harry _ !”  Harry hurried to look over the edge in a panic.  His hair and robes were disheveled and his glasses were askew as he peered down at Draco.  “What in the bloody hell are you doing up  _ there _ ?!”

 

“I- ah, found a hiding spot and fell asleep?”

 

“Well hurry up and get down! Your late for your interview with my uncle,” said Draco in his most disgruntled voice.  

 

It took Harry longer to get down than it had for him to get up and for a moment he wondered if he was going to end up like a treed cat.  But he eventually reached the ground and quickly straightened his appearance before rushing from the room. 

 

He found Snape perched at his desk with his hands steepled before his large nose.  As expected he did not look pleased. “Hello, Mr. Potter. So nice of you to join us.”  As indicated, there was one other person in the room. He appeared to be a student like Harry, but was several years his senior.  The boy stood discreetly in the corner with his arms crossed over his robe. He had bright auburn hair and piercing blue eyes that still gleamed in the dim room.  

 

Harry hesitantly sat in the chair across from his head of house that was apparently left for him as there were no other chairs in the room.  “Sorry sir. I lost track of time.” 

 

“Obviously…”

 

**0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0O0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0**

 

Snape: 

 

Severus stared as the uncomfortable child squirmed in the chair across from him.  He had a sneaking suspicion that he was missing something. Potter had had relatively few disciplinary actions against him aside from supplementary lessons and the one incident with the broom.  All in all a lot less than he had expected when James’s son had been sorted into his house. “Well Mr. Potter let me start with what I already know about you.” Severus looked away to help the child feel more comfortable during the questions, instead looking at the essays on his desk and shuffling them as if they meant something to him.  “You placement test scores were abysmal, but you have steadily been improving and you have been keeping up with your supplemental essays adequately. But one does wonder, if you are relatively studious as this data would imply, why would your scores be so low to begin with?” 

 

Harry looked at him oddly before answering, “I lived with my aunt and uncle, who are muggles, sir. They didn’t tell me much about magic.”  

 

Severus watched as Potter wrung his hands in his lap during the comment about magic. Oh, he didn’t doubt that he was telling the truth, but the obvious discomfort when mentioning his family was interesting.  He backed off for the moment. “Your social etiquette has been sub par, but my niece and nephew seem to be helping with that. In light of this, I will only require you to take lessons from Prefect Rowle once a week on Friday nights.  Seeing as you are currently banned from dueling until further notice it should not be a problem for you. Mr. Rowle on the other hand is already one of Slytherin House’s best duelists and will not wain in his skill easily. Indeed, I look forward to refilling my healing salve store while he is distracted.  

 

The aforementioned Gabriel Rowle stepped forward to shake Harry’s hand and exchange pleasantries.  Gabriel was a good prefect and well liked with his peers. He was also an excellent strategist, which is why he excelled in dueling many seventh years even though he was only in his fifth. Gavriel was also very adept at knowing exactly how much force was necessary to fell his opponent without serious harm.  A skill many of his snakes lacked. Gabriel was additionally the only perfect he currently had that went out of his way to engage the younger students and set them at ease. Severus felt that this in particular would make Gabriel best suited for this task. 

 

After letting Gabriel get Potter to let down his guard through some simple pleasantries, Severus changed his line of questioning again.  “The only disciplinary problem you have had at this school revolved around your first flying lesson. Do you feel the disciplinary actions taken were fair?”  

 

Potter dropped his eyes to the floor immediately after Severus brought up his past transgression from a few weeks back.  “Yes, sir.” 

 

Severus lifted one eyebrow, “You think having twice as many detentions as Draco, who instigated the conflict, was fair?”  

 

Potter’s body language remained calm and submissive, but his hands clenched in his lap.  “I deserved the punishment, sir. I should have noticed that Draco was feeling left out before things got to that point.”  

 

Severus paused.  ‘Deserved’ was an odd choice of words, especially for an eleven year old boy.  “Do you often have disciplinary issues at home?”

 

Potter began to fidget with his hands again, this time with the addition of picking at his nails.  “Not that many,” he whispered. 

 

Ah.  The first lie.  “What is discipline like for you at home?”  

 

Harry began to scratch at the back of his palm, “I get sent to my room a lot.  If I’m really bad it’s without food. I often get extra chores. Kind of like most kids I guess.”

 

“Are you and your cousin punished equally?”

 

Harry’s nails dug into the back of his hand leaving red welts.  “No, but that's because I get in trouble more often.” 

 

“One last question Harry.  What do you think you are worth as a person?”  

 

Harry finally looked Severus in the eye.  Staring like a wide eyed deer in the headlights.  “W-what?”

 

“I asked you ‘What do you think you are worth as a person?’”

 

“I-I don’t know… not very much sir.  At least-at least not yet.”

 

Severus waited, but when it became apparent that Harry would not be any more forthcoming, he excused the boy for the night.  

 

Once Harry left the room, Gabriel stepped out of the shadows again.  “Sir, your just going to let him go? Something is obviously not right with that family.”  

 

“You’re right Mr. Rowle.  I will speak to the Headmaster in the morning, but for now keep an eye on him for me.”  

 

“Will do sir.”  

  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More on this later in the story, but for now let the suspense begin.  


	16. Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that we have explored Harry's trauma, let's give someone else a turn!

Ankaa:

 

Ankaa was practically vibrating with excitement.  They had all been at Hogwarts for over two months now and it was finally time for her favorite holiday.  Her mother had always told her stories about the celebrations, pranks, and feasts held at Hogwarts on Halloween and this year she would finally get a chance to see it for herself.  It was a shame that she still had to go to class. She had so many things planned for Harry and Draco, especially after Harry had mentioned that his family never let him celebrate Halloween before.  It was going to be epic! They would carve and enchant pumpkins, listen to the Bloody Baron’s stories, she had found a recipe for brewing enchanted sweets, and a charm that would turn all the coats of any cat in the common room black.  

 

Already today she and her companions had managed to prank the Weasley twins twice between classes.   To which they had only managed to retaliate once when they caused Draco’s pudding to explode in his face during lunch.  Ankaa and Harry both managed to slide their plates down to a deserted part of the table before they met the same fate. Now they only had one class left before the true celebration could begin.  

 

Ankaa strode into Transfiguration class thinking of what activities she should prioritize for them to do before the Halloween feast.  She was so caught up in her schemes that she almost missed what the lesson was. Her heart sank as she watched Professor McGonagall turn the matchstick into a needle.  Gods, did she loath needles. 

 

She had never quite known why, but she had always felt a visceral terror any time Narcissa had tried to teacher her the lady like crafts her mother loved to dwell on.  But she would just have to grim and bear it this time. She would not show weakness in front of the Ravenclaws in the room. 

 

Draco and Harry sat at a desk together a few desks over and Hermione sat with another Ravenclaw girl just behind her, but somehow in her distracted thoughts she had ended up sitting by a small Ravenclaw boy with very large glasses.  McGonagall was going around the room passing out matches and giving pointers. Ankaa pulled her hair free of the simple bun she had pulled it into that morning. Her hair cascaded down to her hips in long smooth tresses of pail gold.  She could not stand the feel of the pins against her scalp any longer. 

 

Once the match was placed in front of her she began trying the spell.  Her heart was not in it though and the most she managed after many minutes was a metallic match.  Even that was enough to make her stomach roll with nausea and her face break in a cold sweat. This was ridiculous.  She had to get ahold of herself. Taking a deep calming breath she cast the spell again using all her concentration. The match flared with a bright light as she had hoped, but at that moment the boy next to her bumped the table in his excitement at turning his match into a wooden needle.  Her glowing match rolled toward the edge of her desk and she instinctively caught it as it transformed. 

 

The newly formed needle bit deep in to her palm…

 

***

 

Ankaa honestly didn’t remember much of what happened next after transfiguration class.  She didn’t think she had screamed or ran hysterically from the room like she had wanted to.  Class must have ended though. She seemed to be in the hallway now and the herd of other students where pressing in on her.   _ She could hear a boy screaming.  _  She couldn’t breath!  Spots of white light where dancing before her eyes and she couldn’t see Draco or Harry anywhere.  She turned and twisted in the stream of unfamiliar people searching frantically for a way out. She needed to find somewhere safe.  Somewhere she could hide. 

 

Finally she stumbled through a doorway to a girls lavatory.  Quickly she scanned the room for the nearest empty stall and locked herself in without sparing a glance at the startled girls by the sink.   _ The boy’s screaming was getting louder _ .  Quietly she shut the lid on the toilet and crouched on top of the seat.   _ The boy was wailing in pain, begging for it to stop. _  Ankaa pulled her knees to her chest.   _ “Please father, I promise I won’t do it again!   _

 

_ “Silence,” _ yelled a deep booming voice,  _ “I am sick of your lies!”   _

 

Ankaa felt like there were giant coils wrapping tighter and tighter around her chest.  Squeezing until she was gasping for air. She bit down on her injured hand to keep from crying out.   _ “I’ll never lie again father, please!”   _

 

_ “Oh, we’ll make sure of it,” _ the low voice said, laced in menace.  

 

Ankaa could hear others laughing in the background.  Her eyes registered a flash of silver light attached to a long black, cord.   _ “No, father please!” _ the child’s sobs where becoming uncontrollable.  

 

Ankaa watched as the gleaming needle came towards her face.   _ The boy’s screams were completely unintelligible at this point as the needle cut deep into his lips over and over until his cries became pained gasps and whimpers.   _

 

Ankaa tore off her outer robes and clutched them to her chest.  She wrapped her arms around them and pulled her knees up protectively as she sobbed into her makeshift pillow.  She could still hear the laughter. 

 

***

 

Eventually Ankaa’s breathing began to slow.  Slow being a relative term. She felt like she was trying to breath around shards of ice in her lungs.  She felt so cold she was shaking uncontrollably. Slowly she uncurled herself and wrapped her outer robes tightly around her shoulders.  The sounds of other students outside the bathroom stall had long since faded and she suspected that the Halloween feast had already begun without her.  She felt the strangest urge to laugh, but managed to refrain just barely. 

 

She stood carefully on shaky legs and stumbled from the stall with about as much grace as a newborn giraffe.    She shuffled to the nearest sink and splashed some cool water on her face. Utterly exhausted, she rubbed at her temples.  She had one hell of a headache. She glanced in the mirror to take in the damage. Her eyes were scarily bloodshot from crying and her fingertips were blue with cold, but she paused when she looked at her disheveled hair.  Were her root tips _ black _ ?  She was definitely losing her mind.  Sighing in defeat, she sank to the bathroom floor.  She didn’t have the energy to face her peers yet. She curled with her back resting against the wall under the sink and hugged her legs to her chest.  Focusing on her breathing, she closed her eyes and rested her head on her knees. 

 

She had no idea how long she was crouched there before a girl with bushy hair pushed into the bathroom looking concerned.  Ankaa didn’t bother to lift her head. Her muscles seemed to be unresponsive and extremely outspoken in their protests against moving an inch.  “Merlin you look awful…”

 

“I appreciate the sentiment,” Ankaa said sarcastically.  

 

“Sorry.  I saw you react strangely in class, but you seemed mostly fine after Phillip bandaged your hand.  So I didn’t think much of it until you didn’t show up for the feast.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Phillip.  The Ravenclaw boy you were sitting next too?”

 

Ankaa glanced at her palm and noticed for the first time that it was indeed bandaged with a thin blue gauzelike substance.  “How did you even find me?”

 

“Hannah Abbott, told Neville that she heard you crying in here and he told me.”  

 

“Ah,”she mumbled.  So the whole school new of her weakness.   _ Brilliant.  _

 

“Is everything ok?”  

 

“Yeah.  I…” Ankaa didn’t quite know what kind of excuse she was going to use but thankfully a better distraction came along. 

 

The mountain troll that wandered in through the open lavatory door was still relatively small in size but its head was nearly scraping the ceiling as it looked at the two girls in confusion.  

 

Ankaa grabbed Hermione's hand in an endeavor to keep her from running and drawing the beast’s attention.  That of course did not stop the blood curdling scream that pealed out of her lungs and caused Ankaa’s ears to ring.  Not the best way to medicate her growing migraine. 

 

As the mountain troll turned its beady black eyes on them, Ankaa attempted to stand to defend her friend.  Unfortunately she only succeeded in pulling Hermione down with her. Her energy was still extremely drained and as she reached for her magic she began to panic. She could not feel her magic at all!  Frantically she pulled Hermione below the sink and pushed her between herself and the wall. Magic or no, she would protect those that were her’s. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um… I thought I would give Harry a break from his trauma and this is what popped out of my dark mind. 
> 
> Yes I know. I did it again. But I am a fan of Loki. I have to have a dark side...


	17. Battle of the Troll

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I can't keep up my 'mean' streak for very long. So here is the next chapter.

Ankaa:

 

The massive troll lumbered toward the mirrors as it searched for the source of the noise.  Its small black eyes nearly sightless. The smell was not helping Ankaa’s already nauseated stomach.  Hermione whimpered as she coward between Ankaa and the wall under the sinks. The troll turned faster than she would have thought possible for such a large creature and crouched over their sink, sniffing.  

 

The brute froze as he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror.  The troll’s feet were mere inches from where they hid. He stared at himself for a long moment before he gave a snarl that rattled their bones and slammed his club into the glass.  The shards of glass cascaded down on them, large pieces slicing through their robes. Hermione screamed again, but it was cut short as a club slammed into the sink to their left. Ankaa pulled Hermine up into a crouch and pushed her ahead of her as they tried to crawl under the line of sinks towards the door.  The troll began smashing sinks one after another and was quickly gaining on them. Just as they reached the last sink, Ankaa realized that they would have no cover between them and the door and with the troll so close there was no way they could make it in time. Ankaa grabbed Hermione’s robe and prepared to shove her towards the door while she came up with a distraction.  Although what she could do was limited, as her attempt to stand fully caused her head to spin from the effort. 

 

The door to the girls lavatory swung open and hit against the opposite wall with a crack.  “Ankaa!” Draco burst through the doorway looking frantic, but paused at the sight of the towering troll. 

 

“Run!  Get out!” Ankaa yelled, knowing the words were useless.  Draco never backed down from a fight when his family was involved.  At least he was smart enough to pull Harry out of the way of the swinging club that crashed through the wall that had once held the door.  Ankaa reached for her wand, but her magic was still going haywire. 

 

Harry and Draco split up, making lots of noise.  They worked together like they had been a team for years not months as they harried the troll flicking off spells right and left.  

 

While the troll was distracted Ankaa dragged Hermione out from under the last sink and into one of the stalls on the opposite wall.  Their were shards of broken porcelain floating in the quickly rising water from the broken pipes. Their feet splashed with every step and their robes were quickly being weighed down with the water they absorbed.  As Ankaa turned to close the stall door her foot slipped on the slick tile and only Hermione’s firm hand kept her from ending up sprawling on the floor. Unfortunately it did not stop the slamming of the stall door as it banged closed.  

 

“Damn.”  Ankaa grabbed for Hermione’s collar and drug her to the ground once more, just as a huge club came sailing through the row of stalls.  Wooden shrapnel rained down on their heads. 

 

At least, Hermione had stopped screaming, but now Ankaa’s robe was caught under something heavy and she was too weak to budge it.  Hermione had managed to get away, although she obviously hadn’t realized that Ankaa was stuck because she was standing by the door staring at her in horror.  The troll loomed closer. It was lifting the massive club above her head, it's disgusting toes mere inches from her nose. Draco and Harry were working together still to try to distract it, but their efforts were having no effect.  

 

Finally Hermione remembered that she was in fact a witch and reached for the wand that was miraculously still in her pocket.  “ _ wingardium leviosa! _ ” The troll pause, bewildered as his club was ripped from his grasp.  

 

Ankaa used the momentary distraction to pull her daggers from their hidden sheath under her robes.  She ignored the massive club as it fell just to her right shattering the tiles beneath its weight. She went first to try and cut herself free, but the troll recovered quickly and reached for her.  Its fat fingers wrapping around her slender torso and pinning her arms to her side. As the troll lifted her into the air she felt her robes rip free and her leg scrape against splintered wood. She didn’t even have time to register the pain in her leg before the monster began to squeeze.  Her already exhausted lungs strained to expand in the trolls tight grasp. Its beady eyes glared at her as it lifted her towards its open jaws. The stench alone almost making her pass out. Finally, she managed to wiggle on arm free and swiftly struck her knife deep in the beast’s forearm.  The troll howled in pain and dropped her like a hot iron and she fell hard on her now injured leg. 

 

The now very angry troll did not bother to try and grab her again.  This time it simply ballad it's good hand into a fist and swung it down hard. Ankaa didn’t have the strength or time to dodge.  All she could do was stare at her fast approaching doom. 

 

Two arks of magic struck the troll at the same moment in the back of the head.  One blue and the other red and as the two streams of light collided in a flash of purple.   The troll fainted, falling in an earth shaking heap mere inches from Ankaa. 

 

Ankaa allowed herself to relax into unconsciousness as she watched Harry, Draco, and Hermione run splashing through the water to her side.  

 


	18. The Hospital Wing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4 Chapters in 3 days? What is this?!! I'm never this efficient!

Ankaa:  

 

Ankaa woke to the sound of a woman lecturing.  The voice sounded familiar but she was not quite sure from where.  She carefully slit one eye open to take in her surroundings. It was dark but the room seemed very large.  Not her dorm room then, the thin sheets over her were far too abrasive to be from her bed. The bed beneath her felt flimsy, but there was at least a glass of water on a nightstand by it.  She did not appreciate the privacy curtain cutting her off from half the room, though.  She didn't like not knowing who else was in the room with her.  Ankaa made a move to grab the water glass but stopped when her head suddenly reeled. She was so thirsty, but could barely turn her head let alone reach the glass.

 

To distract herself from the thirst, she closed her eyes and turned her attention to the voices having a heated discussion just beyond the curtains around her bed.  “Blasted thing. How are you supposed to keep your eye on all three heads at once?” Was that uncle Snape?

 

“What were you thinking Severus!  You know how dangerous Hagrid’s ‘pets’ can be.”  

 

“The other professors had their hands full.  Our security was _obviously_ compromised.  I was just making sure no one was going to take advantage-”  Severus's voice cut off with a gasp of pain.  

 

“Sure but did you have to let it use you as a chew toy? Your recklessness is setting a bad example for your house.”

 

There was a long pause, “How is she, Poppy?”  

 

“Not good, but she will recover.  My diagnostic spell showed a massive surge of accidental magic that she internalized until it began to tear her magical core apart.”  

 

“What could have caused such a thing?  She hasn’t had an episode of accidental magic since she was four years old.”  

 

“You are her godfather Severus, as well as her Head of House.  If anyone would know it would be you... Has she been under any kind of extreme or prolonged stress?  A strong panic attack or emotional trauma could explain the accidental magic, but as to why she internalized it instead of letting the magic be expelled naturally…. That could be a bad sign.”

 

“I will keep a closer eye on her from now on.”  

 

“I know you will, but I would still like her to come in regularly for check ups to make sure this does not occur again.  If she continues to focus her wild magic internally she could end up severing her connection to her magic entirely. She could permanently damage her magical core and become a squib.”  

 

Ankaa lost track of the rest of the conversation as she began to hyperventilate.  She bit down hard on her fist as she tried to calm or at least quiet her ragged breaths.  She managed to calm slightly by distracting herself with questions. What was the pet Hagrid was keeping?  Why would uncle Snape need to check on it if there was already a security risk in the school. Finally, what could the three headed beast be guarding that someone would risk the lives of students using a mountain troll as a distraction?  

 

Thankfully she, Draco, and Harry had made plans to meet with Hagrid in a few weeks.  She would have her answers then, she was sure.

 


	19. Christmas Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The only thing that happens between Halloween and Christmas in the book is a Quidditch match. Harry is no longer on a team and I am to lazy to make something original up. But I am going to spend some extra time on Christmas...

Harry:

 

While Harry, Draco, and Hermione had received 20 house points each for their bravery in trying to rescue a friend from dire circumstances, Harry and Draco’s Head of House had not been pleased.  Professor Snape spent a large portion of Halloween night berating the Slytherin boys for not having the cunning to go and find one of the many teachers patrolling the halls when they realized the danger of the situation. Instead they went crashing into the danger head on like bloody Gryffindors! They had both ended up with three detentions and an array of complicated essays on trolls, strategy, and defense against magical beasts.

 

Ankaa, as the only one to have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, managed to avoid the majority of Snape’s wrath.  She did however end up with an essay on stress management and weekly visits to Madam Pomfrey. She also continued to help Harry and Draco with their excessive amount of homework.  

 

Unfortunately, Professor Snape was not the only one giving out essays right and left. All the professors seemed to be trying to pound as much knowledge into their skulls before the winter holidays that the trio barely noticed when Christmas break snuck up on them.   

 

Harry had already been planning to stay at Hogwarts over the break so he hadn’t been too upset when Professor Snape stopped him in the hallway and ordered him to stay for extra study session over the holidays.  “We are already heading into our second term and you are still woefully behind your peers in almost every subject. It is time we corrected this offence. During the break you will report to Prefect Rowle or myself everyday from 3-5pm for tutoring, except for Christmas eve and Christmas day.  If you need a signed notice sent to your guardians, I will provide it. ”

 

“That won’t be necessary sir, they won’t mind, but doesn’t Prefect Rowle have plans for the holidays?”

 

“Mr. Rowle will be remaining behind as our houses designated prefect over the holidays,” Snape said mildly before he turned on his heels and left in a swirl of black cloth.  

 

***

 

As Harry watched the other Slytherins pack for the break, he was surprised to notice that neither Ankaa or Draco were packing.  When he asked Draco about it he said, “You didn’t honestly think we were going to leave you here all alone on _Christmas_ did you?”  

 

Harry was speechless for a long moment, “Um… but don’t your parents want to see you?”

 

“Ankaa persuaded them to let us stay here.  Our parents will be pretty busy anyway, with all the different social functions this time of year,” Draco smirked.  “You are getting us out of a lot of boring parties. Hey don’t you have to meet my uncle soon?”

 

Harry groaned, “Snape is going to kill me!  See you later Draco.” Harry gave Draco a fleeting smile before he hurried away to the library.  But when he reached the library he found Gabrielle Rowle waiting in the professor’s place.

 

Gabrielle gave Harry a patient smile, “Your in luck.  It’s just me today, but be more careful next time. Professor Snape really hates tardients.”  

 

“I know.  My apologies Prefect Rowle.”

 

“Don’t worry about it Potter, and you can just call me Gabriel.”

 

Harry smiled back at the older teen, “Thanks Gabriel.  Sorry you had to stay behind during the holidays instead of spending time with your family.”  

 

“Don’t worry about it.  I don’t really have any family.  I never knew my father and my mom died when I was in my second year of Hogwarts.  So I would be staying either way. I volunteered to be the perfect to remain behind so the others could go home.”  

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t be.  It’s not your fault.  Let’s just get started getting you caught up in class.”  

 

***

 

Harry woke early Christmas Eve morning and descended the staircase to an interesting sight.  Ankaa was bent low over a coffee table sorting through a bag of coins, dressed in a thick winter cloak and an emerald scarf.  “You look like your about to go on an expedition,” he commented dryly.

 

Ankaa startled, but calmed when she saw Harry, “Oh! Its you Harry.  I was worried that you were Draco.”

 

“Where are we sneaking off to this time?  And why are we avoiding Draco?”

 

“Well _I’m_ planning on going Christmas shopping, but your welcome to come along with me if you want.”

 

“How exactly do you plan on doing that?” asked Harry.  

 

“I found a secret path, but I would like to head out soon.  Draco has a nasty habit of snooping out his Christmas presents early.”  

 

“Well we have at least four hours to shop.  Since break started Draco has hardly ever woken before noon.  That should give us plenty of time.”

 

“Exactly.”


	20. Christmas Shopping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Single Awareness Day! Don't forget that tomorrow is National Cheap Chocolate Day though!

Ankaa:

 

Ankaa crouched low as she led Harry through the claustrophobic tunnel.  She had discovered this wonderful escape hatch after catching Fred and George acting suspiciously.  She had followed them until she found this tunnel behind a statue of an old hag that led directly to Honeydukes Shop in Hogsmeade. The twins had been heading to Zonko's for prank supplies, but she managed to cast a quick spell to sabotage their purchases.  It had been one of her more productive excursions that week.

 

As Ankaa and Harry finally emerged from the hatch, she watched as Harry stared in wonder at all of the barrels and colorful displays of candy.  While he was distracted she quickly picked up a box of Exploding Bonbons and some Sound-producing Sweets for the Weasley twins as a thank you present for unwittingly sharing their secret.  She was off looking for a gift for Neville when Harry came back looking rather down. “Sorry Ann, but I think I’m going to head on back to school.”

 

Ankaa immediately straightened looking for a cause for Harry’s sudden change of mood.  She hadn’t seen anyone talking to Harry, but if someone had caused this… “What’s the matter Harry?”  

 

“Nothing really.  I just realized that I don’t have a way to pay for anything.  I talked to the shopkeeper and he said that there isn’t a bank in this town, so I have no way of withdrawing money either.”  

 

“Why didn’t you say something Harry?  I have just the thing,” Ankaa paused while she rummaged through her white velvet satchel.  Finally her hands brushed the notepad she had been looking for. “Here you go. You can borrow some of my Goblin Notes.”  

 

“I can’t use your money Ann.  I won't be able to pay you back until summer or even next school year!”  

 

Ankaa managed to catch herself before she rolled her eyes, “They won’t withdraw the money from my vault Harry.  That’s not how Goblin Notes work.” She paused for a moment while she thought about how best to explain it. “When you first went to Gringotts, the goblins made you sign something to claim your inheritance right?”  

 

“Yeah, why?”

 

“Well the goblins keep all their ownership contracts on file so that they can verify your signature with magic.  So when you use a Goblin Note all you have to do is write the amount, who it is for, and sign your name. The shop owners can turn them into the bank and the goblins will transfer the money later.”  

 

“So it’s kind of like a check?”

 

“Well I guess the goblins ‘check’ the signature if that is what you mean?” She thought she saw Harry try to suppress a smile, but she couldn’t fathom what for.   “Come on then. Gather what you want and I can walk you through how to check out.”

 

Their next stop was Scrivenshaft’s Quill Shop.  As they stepped out into the bright morning light, Ankaa noticed for the first time just how much snow had fallen the night before.  There was at least an extra foot of snow and the drifts even reached up to hip height. Thankfully most of the shop owners had cleared the walkways, but the bitter wind was quickly trying to fill them back in.  Ankaa turned to Harry who had just stepped outside and was already shivering uncontrollably. “I should have made you go back upstairs and grab your coat before we left,” she said with a frown.

 

“D-d-don’t hav-ve one.”  

 

Ankaa blinked, “Why not!”

 

“Did-dn’t thi-think about it w-when I was buying my sc-school s-supplies this summer.”  And of course the muggles wouldn’t have cared enough to send him money for a winter cloak and it was not like Harry could just run out and buy one, Ankaa thought bitterly.  

 

“Well it is only two doors down, let’s just hurry and get you back inside.”  They quickened their pace and where just passing the Hogshead when two burly men burst through the door in a huff.  Ankaa managed to jump out of the way, but Harry had been caught off guard. “Watch it!” groused one of the men as he knocked Harry into a snowdrift.  

 

Ankaa quickly helped pull Harry out of the snow and into the quill shop.  Harry was shivering much worse now, even though they were in the warm, parchment scented store.  His glasses where ascue in front of his wide, startled, green eyes. Snow clung to him from head to toe and was quickly melting into freezing cold water that was saturating his light school cloak.  His hair was a right mess, sticking out in every which angle and coated in ice particles. Ankaa quickly pulled off her own warm winter cloak and wrapped it around his shoulders ignoring his stuttering protests.  

 

When she was finished, Ankaa smirked at her handy work.  The white tufts of fur around the collar was quickly starting to mach Harry’s hair as the drying charm in the coat’s lining took effect, causing his unruly hair to frizz up.  Between all the fluff and Harry’s bewildered gaze, she was suddenly reminded of a lost duckling. The animated silver, embroidered snowflakes on the outside of the white cloak gave the image an ironic twist too.  

 

“T-thanks,” Harry mumbled, his cheeks coloring slightly.  

 

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, “I don’t ever get cold really.  You can just borrow it until we get back to the school.”

 

Ignoring Harry’s embarrassment, Ankaa quickly got them back to the task of Christmas shopping.  Lots of people to shop for and so little time...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you have been enjoying all the Christmas fluff! I have one more Christmas chapter to go. I have always thought that Harry deserved a better first Christmas. In the book He doesn't even get a present from his best friend Ron! Hagrid, Hemione, Dombledore, and even Mrs. Weasley give him something, but not Ron. Is it any wonder why I don't really like the kid?


	21. Christmas Day

Harry:

 

Harry went to bed on Christmas Eve feeling more excited than he had ever been  for Christmas before. He was so excited to see his friends reactions to his gifts for them and for all the wonderful food, but he was not expecting any presents.  After all, he didn’t really have any family to celebrate with. He just hoped that he would get a chance to spend time with Ankaa and Draco, and maybe even Fred and George who were staying at the school while their parents went to visit their brother Charlie.  

 

He woke Christmas morning, as expected, to an empty room, not a single present in sight.  But there _was_ a persistent knocking at his door.  Yawning, he pulled on his school cloak over his pjs and opened the door to a very excited looking Draco.  It was the first time all week Harry had seen the other boy before noon. “Hurry up, Harry. What are you sleeping in for?  It’s nearly 7!”

 

Harry rolled his eyes, but followed the other boy downstairs after a quick change of clothes.  Draco was practically vibrating with excitement and it was starting to become contagious. Harry had never been so excited for a holiday in his life.  He was starting to imagine all the different ways he could celebrate with his friends, but no matter how he fantasized he was still not prepared for the sight that greeted them as they reached the common room.  

 

Ankaa was dressed in a casual light green robe that made her pale gold hair stand out as she stood on a stool by a massive evergreen tree.  She was holding her wand up, lighting the last candles on the tree making the firelight reflect brightly off her emerald eyes. She turned to the boys with a smile and jumped gracefully down from her perch.  “Just one more moment. I’m almost done with the finishing touches,” she said as she lifted her wand to the ceiling. There was a brief flash of light and then a gentle snow began to fall in the room. Although none of the fluffy white flakes ever touched the ground, the tree did begin to gather a thin layer of frost that sparkled in the candle light.  The silvery white of the snow contrasted with the bright green needles and silver and green ornaments. The tree was topped with an emerald glass snake and below its branches the mound of presents were spilling out to the surrounding floor.

 

Harry was so distracted by all the decorations that he didn’t even notice the other people in the room.  “Very advanced enchantment for a first year. You should be proud,” said Professor Snape.

 

“Thanks uncle Severus!” Ankaa smiled before turning and dragging Harry over to the circle of couches and chairs.  Harry was startled to see Ankaa and Draco’s parents sitting on the couch across from him and Snape curled up with a book in the armchair next to them.  

 

Harry smiled nervously at the adults in the room, but remembered to bow his head in greeting.  “A pleasure to meet you both Sir and Lady Malfoy. I am grateful to have become friends with the young Lady and Sir Malfoy. They speak very highly of the two of you.”  

 

Lady Malfoy smiled at Harry, “Such a polite young man, but there is no need for formality.  You may call me Narcissa and this is my husband Lucius.” Narcissa turned her gaze on Professor Snape with a look of silent conversation.  

 

Snape stared back for a long moment before rolling his eyes in resignation, “I suppose that in light of the holiday, you may call me Severus for today. _Just_ for today.”  Lucius gave his friend an apologetic smile.  

 

Harry wasn’t quite sure how he felt about that, but the professor had been less pointed towards him as of late and when they had worked together over the break on his school studies, he had been nearly cordial.  Maybe the surly professor was so cantankerous in class just to deter students from behaving like dunder heads. After all he was a much better instructor one on one. His thoughts were interrupted, however, when Ankaa jumped into the conversation.  

 

“It was a very pleasant surprise to see you both this morning, Mother, Father, but I was under the impression that you had a meeting this morning.”  

 

Lucius glanced at Harry momentarily before answering his daughter, “Yes.  We have a meeting with Professor Snape and Headmaster Dumbledore to voice some concerns, but not for a few more hours.  So your mother and I decided to surprise you on Christmas morning.” Ankaa looked like she was going to respond, but they all turned when they heard a rustling sound coming from the tree.  

 

Draco was crouched under the tree, picking through the presents.  He froze immediately at the sound of his father clearing his throat.  “I was ah- just sorting the presents,” he said turning a little pink. Ankaa rolled her eyes and Draco quickly picked up the nearest present.  “Hear you are Harry.”

 

Harry stared for a long moment at the small silver wrapped parcel in amazement.  He had never had to unwrap a gift before. Usually his aunt and uncle just put Dudley’s hand-me-down clothes in an old box, not even bothering to tape it closed.  Harry glanced around self consciously before taking the package and gently sliding his fingers under the tape. Once finished, he laid the pristine shiny paper to the side and looked at the simple black box.  He lifted the lid slowly and read the note on top of the soft leather gloves. _To Mr. Potter from Professor Snape_ it said simply.  Harry’s eyes stung as he looked up at his grumpy professor, who seemed to be distractedly flipping through his book.  “Thank you sir,” Harry said, to which his only response was a nod of acknowledgement. Harry pulled the gloves over his fingers to discover that there insides when lined with something akin to velvet that warmed his hands instantly from the slight chill in the Slytherin dungeon.  

 

Harry finally perked up out of his happy and bewildered daze, to hurry over to the tree and remove a parcel of his own.  Harry shyly handed the long green box to his professor, who was giving him a strange look. Severus cautiously slid his fingers under the tape and folded the wrapping paper next to him on the chair.  Severus’s lips quirked slightly as he removed the jet black never out quill from the box.

 

“It’s a thank you gift, for your help with my studies over the past week,” said Harry quietly.  

 

Severus lifted an eyebrow in amusement, “I will endeavor to use it to its full extent on the essay you turned in yesterday.”  

 

Harry let out a quiet groan, but was still pleased that Snape seemed to appreciate the gift.  He quietly sat back down on the couch next to Draco who was already tearing into his first present.  

 

***

 

All in all Harry had received more presents in this single day than he had in his entire life combined.  He had received a hand carved flute from Hagrid that sounded so much like an owl, that Hedwig had come down to investigate.  Harry resolved to go visit the games keeper tomorrow as an apology for always putting off Hagrids invitations. Next was a box from Fred and George that Ankaa checked for traps before handing it to Harry.  It was mostly sweets, with a few Zonko products tossed in. Hermione had sent him a book on Quidditch and Neville had sent him a small plant from his greenhouse back home. Mrs. Malfoy had given him a tin of homemade biscuits and a hand made Slytherin scarf.  Ankaa had informed him that her father had spelled the yarn with a warming charm. And finally Draco and Ankaa had pitched together to get him a brand new winter cloak, complete with water repellent, warming, and self repairing charms. Apparently everyone had noticed him trying to hide how cold he had been in the drafty Slytherin quarters.  Gabriel had even given him a pair of winter boots. Harry had a sneaking suspicion that the Slytherins had been colluding together.

 

After all the festivities were finished, Harry and the Malfoy twins waved goodbye to the adults as they headed off to their meeting.  Then they turned to head to the great hall for lunch with the rest of the students staying behind during the holidays. “Thanks again, Harry, for the box of relaxing tea samples,” Ankaa whispered as they walked together.  

 

“Your welcome,” he said.  He hoped they helped. Ankaa didn’t like when they talked about it, but Harry was still pretty worried about how she had collapsed on Halloween.  She was still visiting Poppy once a week, but so far there had been no more signs of oncoming panic attacks. He and Draco were still keeping a close eye on her though.  

 

They walked in silence for a few halls more until they ran into the Weasley twins as they stepped around  the corner. Fred and George were decked out in matching blue sweaters. One with a large F and the other a G.  “Hey lookie there! Harry got something hand knit too!” said George pointing at Harry’s scarf.

 

“Hey how come Harry didn’t get a letter on his?” said Fred.  

 

Draco snigered.  “The better question is, ‘Why do you have letters on your’s?’  Does your mother worry that you’ll forget your names?” he said in mock sympathy.  

 

“No!”  

 

“We’re not stupid - we know we’re called Gred and Forge.”  

 

Harry and Draco broke out into nearly hysterical laughter, but Ankaa was studying the twins with amusement.  “Well if that’s how it is,why is Gred wearing the sweater with an F?” she asked.

 

The twins froze.  Then the twin wearing the G smirked, “I’m wounded Ankaa!  How could you so easily mistake me for my brother!”

 

“Uh-oh you got it wrong.  Now Gred will need an apology!” said the one wearing the F.  

 

Ankaa just rolled her eyes, “No.  I know I’m right. You two may look alike but you’re very different.”  The twins stared at her blankly as Ankaa, Harry, and Draco walked away.  

 

“How did you _do_ that?” whispered Draco.  

 

“It’s hard to say, but George’s speech and actions come across a little more mischievous than Fred.  And Fred’s body language is a little more… I don’t know… “ said Ankaa.

 

For the rest of the day Fred and George kept popping up out of nowhere and challenging Ankaa to a ‘Which one is Fred?’ game.  To make it more interesting, they seemed to be switching their sweaters every once in a while, but they had still not managed to fool her even once by the end of the night.    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else seeing the parallels to a certain Anime? No? Just me? Fine… :(


	22. The Mirror of Erised

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is a snow day, so I'm posting this early! Maybe I can even figure out this little snag I've been struggling with all week and I can post the next chapter too.

Ankaa:  

 

Ankaa couldn’t sleep.  After the Christmas feast, they had returned to find another present under the tree addressed to Harry.  Ankaa was ridiculously curious about who could have sent Harry the invisibility cloak and how they had managed to get in and out of the common without anyone noticing.  It was driving her mad! Now she was up late and wandering the halls to distract herself. 

 

She had been exploring the castle at night at least once a week since she had arrived and no one had caught her yet.  She had always been very adept at stealth, much to her brother’s chagrin. She had already managed to read a fair amount of the books in the restricted section, so today she decided to go searching for more hidden rooms.  Anything to distract her over active mind. 

 

She wandered the halls for a while before she found a faint light coming from a door that was left open just a crack.  Finally, her curiosity had a new target. Cautiously she opened the door to find a magnificent mirror as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame with the words  _ Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi _ inscribed in it.  She stepped in front of it.  

 

Ankaa peered at her reflection and nearly fell when she spun around to confront the woman behind her.  Except... there  _ wasn’t _ a woman behind her.  Suspiciously, Ankaa turned back to face the mirror again.  The woman reflected behind her shoulder was garbed in an elegant gown of gold that was embroidered with thousands of sparkling jewels on the bodice.  The cape like shawl was magnificently embroidered, lined in lavender, and so long that it swept the floor behind her. The woman’s dark golden tresses where a pile of curls atop her head and her eyes a breathtaking hazel. Those same eyes were filled with tears and down cast towards the shaking hands in her lap, an obsidian dagger in her grasp.  

 

A spark of pain flashed behind Ankaa’s eye, but she was too enraptured to look away.   _ Why did this woman seem so familiar? _  She continued to stare, frozen in place as the woman lifted her head as if she had just heard someone approach.  Her gaze slowly turned and fell on Ankaa through the looking glass. The woman dropped the dagger and stood abruptly clasping her shaking hands over her lips as she sobbed.  Ankaa stared back at the woman in confusion, as guilt clawed at her chest. The pain in her head was growing steadily and white spots were dancing before her eyes. Ankaa sunk to her knees before she could fall from the dizziness that had suddenly come on.  The woman rushed forward as if she had seen Ankaa stumble and knelt pressing her palm to the glass. 

 

_ Ankaa’s eyes swam in the bright light and suddenly she was no longer kneeling on the hard stone, but on a grassy hill.  A pile of books stacked at her side. The same woman was sitting next to her holding out an open book. The lettering on the page was utterly indecipherable to her.  “Relax, my son. Allow the Allspeak to flow through you and the words will soon speak to you.”  _

 

_ Ankaa relaxed her shoulders and cleared her mind before turning back to the book.  The letters blurred before her eyes, reshaping themselves into something that made sense.  “This is amazing,” she whispered as she reached out and began ferociously devouring the text.   _

 

_ “Easy now, my son.  You’ll have plenty of time for that later,” the woman laughed, “ Let’s try it again, but with spoken words…”   _

 

Ankaa blinked.  The hard stone floor was back under her and the woman was back behind the glass.  Her whole body was trembling and no matter how closely she pulled her cloak around her shoulders she could not get warm.  She glanced back to the woman in the mirror and rested her palm on top of her’s.  _ Who was she?  Was this even real?  Or was she just losing her mind? _

 

Ankaa tilted her head back, just to break eye contact and her eyes fell back on the inscription at the top of the mirror.  The letters had  _ changed _ !  She stared in awe at the words that now read,  _ I show not your face but your heart's desire. _  Ankaa looked back at the woman abruptly, but she was gone.  Now in her place stood her mother, father, and brother. Ankaa relaxed again, but she still couldn’t stop the shaking.  

 

That is when Harry pulled off the invisibility cloak to stand right beside her.  “Ankaa? What’s wrong?” When she didn’t answer and s

eeing her obvious distress, he pulled the cloak around them both and led her back to the Slytherin commons.  

 

***

 

Ankaa held the steaming tea cup in her shaking hands as Harry watched her worriedly over his own cup.  She had just finished relaying the events with the mirror. “I just don’t know Harry. It doesn't make any sense.  If the mirror of Erised really shows ones desires, why would I want to see someone I don’t even know?”

 

“Are you sure your alright Ann?  Maybe this is like what happened on Halloween.  Should I go fetch Madam Pomfrey?” 

 

“No… no I will be alright.  But… maybe you could go get Draco?  I really just want to be around my family right now.”  Ankaa was so distracted with her own thoughts that she missed the flash of hurt in Harry’s eyes.  

 

“I’ll-I’ll just go fetch him, shall I?”  Harry hurried up the stairs, his shoulders tucked inward.  When he returned he was leading a bewildered Draco, who was still dressed in his pjs.  

 

Draco’s eyes creased with worry as they fell on Ankaa’s obviously distressed form.  “What happened?”he asked as he hurried to her side, wrapping one arm around her trembling shoulders.  

 

Harry explained as best as he could, but he wasn’t even sure that Draco was hearing him.  His eyes barely straying from his sister’s face as he rubbed soothing circles on her shoulder.  Job finished, Harry began to retreat from the room, but stopped when something caught on his robes.  He looked down to see small pail fingers with a death grip on his cloak. “I thought you wanted to be left alone with your family?” he asked in confusion.  

 

“And where exactly do you think you’re going?  Obviously, my family includes you Harry,” said Ankaa firmly.  

 

Stunned silent, Harry slowly turned back and sat on Ankaa’s other side.  The three of them sat together in silence until Ankaa finally drifted to sleep on the couch, curled with her head on Harry’s shoulder.  

 


	23. Hagrid’s Hut

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We haven't heard from Draco in a while. Let’s fix that, shall we?

Draco:

 

It had been several weeks since Christmas break and now all the professors were piling on the work right and left, so Harry had yet to stop by and visit with the grounds keeper yet this school year.  Not that he hadn’t tried. Harry had attempted to make plans, but now it seemed that Hagrid was now the one too busy to see them. A few days ago Hagrid had even stopped performing his regular duties at the school.  Harry had been getting increasingly worried about his large friend and now Draco was left wondering why he was wasting his valuable study time trudging after his twin and Harry in the deep snow.  _ Why exactly were they bothering to head out to a hut in the middle of a snow storm anyway? _  Couldn’t the half-giant just come up to the castle to meet them?  At least then they would all be warm. He bet his hovel didn’t even have any insulation, let alone heating.  It was all Draco could do not to grumble the whole way there. 

 

Finally, Hagrid’s home started to come into view in the snow.  It was even worse than he had imagined. The stones were crumbling and the roof looked like it was going to rot away any day now.  Also, was it just him or was the roof smoking in random places? 

 

As they drew closer to the door, they all paused at the sound of banging followed by a series of screeching that ended in a menacing hiss.  “What on earth is  _ that _ ?” asked Draco.  

 

There was another loud crash, followed by a deep below, “Take it easy there Norbert! I’ll have your rats and brandy in just a second!”

 

The trio shared concerned looks before Harry cautiously pushed the door open.  What they found inside was a seen of utter chaos. Draco was shoved aside as a huge boar hound ran whimpering from the hut, with his tail smoldering.  Almost everything in the small space was at least singed, if not turned to a pile of ash. But what was most concerning was the three foot tall dragon.  It’s four foot leathery black wings scraping the ceiling. 

 

Hagrid reached forward as if to pat the creature on the head, but pulled back as the beast snapped viciously, nearly taking his fingers off.  Harry rushed forward, and grabbed the giant’s arm to pull him back to safety. Draco was more inclined to let the imbecile endanger his own life instead of theirs.   _ Where had this thing even come from! _

 

Harry was now trying to pull the uncooperative adult out of the battle zone that had become of the hut.  Draco hurriedly dodged around the snarling hatchling to help Harry drag the games keeper out into the snow.  Ankaa, just managing to slam the door back closed before the dragon charged. It hit the door with a resounding _ bang _ .

 

The trio of students blinked up at the man owlishly.  Draco regained his composure first, “What is a  _ dragon _ doing _ here _ ?”  

 

“I- ah, won him, I guess.  Well his egg anyway. I had always wanted a pet dragon since I was just a li’le tike.  I was a little surprised that the traveler seemed so happy to part with ‘im…”    
  


“Well yeah, dragon egg poaching and dragon breeding are both outlawed.  You could go to Azkaban for 15 years if caught!” protested Draco. 

 

“An’ who’s go’in ta find ou’?”

 

“Hagrid,” Ankaa said in her most reasonable voice, “Dragons grow exponentially fast.  There is no way you’ll be able to hide him here for more than a week.” 

 

“That’s  _ if  _ he doesn't burn your house down first,” grumbled Draco.  

 

“I-I have a plan fo’ that…” said Hagrid.  

 

“What sort of plan,”  Harry said at length, as if he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to know the answer.  

 

“Well- ah Dumbledore, he-ah.  When Fluffy, got a li’l bigger tha I though’ he would, Dumbledore found ‘im a job guardin’ for his friend Flamel.”  

 

“Flamel?” asked Ankaa with interest.

 

“I shou’n’t of said tha,” said Hagrid.  

 

“Wait, wait, wait.  You have another gigantic monster roaming around a school for  _ children _ ?” said Draco in astonishment.   

 

There was another large bang from inside the hut.  This time it was so loud it shook the whole house! “I-ah should get back to tending Norbert.  He gets a bit peaky when I don’t feed ‘im ‘is brandy on time…” and with that Hagrid left them to stand outside in the snow while they listened to him crash around inside.  

 

“What are we going to do?  At this rate he’ll get caught for sure,” whispered Harry.  

 

Ankaa shook her head, “We’ve got bigger problems than that.  He said his other ‘pet’ is guarding something for Flamel. If it’s what I think it is, then Hagrid’s little slip with this egg is going to cause a lot of trouble.”  

 

“Slip with the egg?” asked Draco, “What are you even talking about?”  

 

“Honestly!” Ankaa shook her head at the two oblivious boys.  “Don’t you think it’s a little odd that what Hagrid has wanted the most, just _ happened _ to fall into his lap like that?  You saw how quickly he spilled the beans to us, and we weren’t even trying to get the information!”  

 

“I-I guess your right, but that doesn't mean we can just let Hagrid go to prison,” protested Harry.  

 

“ _ Fine _ we’ll figure something out, but we need to figure out what his other pet is so we can assess the kind of danger the school is in.  If it is too dangerous we may need to warn uncle Snape.” 

 

“But first, Ankaa, we need to find a way to deal with the dragon,” said Draco.  “It’s not like we can just release it into the wild. It’s not even one of the dragons native to here!”  

 

Ankaa rubbed her temples and sighed, “I’ll come up with something.”  

 


	24. Norbert & Fluffy

Ankaa:

 

It had taken a full week of visiting Hagrid and a partial roof collapse, to convince Hagrid it was better for Norbert to be with his own kind.  Ankaa had spoken to Fred and George after remembering that they had stayed behind on Christmas because their parents were visiting their older brother who worked with dragons.  They had kindly offered to owl him for her and set up a time for Charlie’s comrades to come and retrieve the illegal dragon under the cover of night. 

 

Tonight was the night that they were going to execute all of their plans at once.  First they needed to work together and find a way to get the massive dragon into some kind of crate.  The Slytherins were on their way to meet Fred and George at Hagrid’s hut now. 

 

When they opened the door it tipped precariously on its hinges.  The inside of the house was in utter ruin, but thankfully Norbert appeared to be in a crate in the center of the bare and blakend room.  She wasn’t sure how they would have kept the dragon inside otherwise. The door was not wanting to close properly and eventually Draco reached for a tattered scrap of cloth at tied the door closed.  

 

Ankaa turned back to face Fred and George who were watching the smoldering crate warily.  It was odd seeing them without a trace of their usual light hearted humor on their faces. Fred saw her watching and shot her a smirk.  “This crate is lined with steal, but it is still made of wood. Not sure how well it will hold if the crabby ‘baby’ starts to throw a tantrum.”  

 

“Yeah,” said George, “the metal will hold against any restless rolling in his sleep, but if he decides to really get cookin’ we’ll have are hands full.”  

 

“He’s got lots o’ rats an’ brandy fer the journey,” said Hagrid with a sniff.  “An’ I’ve packed his teddy bear in case he gets lonely.” She could already hear ripping sounds emanating ominously from within.  

 

“Lovely…” said Ankaa.  “Well we’d best be off then.  How long till Charlie’s mates can meet us?”  

 

“We have about half an hour to go, but best to get their early, I hear both Snape and McGonagall are patrolling tonight.”  Fred cast a  _ wingardium leviosa _ on the crate and George began pushing it towards the door.  

 

“Bye, bye Norbert!” sobbed Hagrid as they all exited the tattered hut.  

 

As soon a they shut the door behind them, Ankaa hurried them all into the side garden.  “Well there is no way we’ll be able to hide this much dragon under your cloak,” whispered Draco to Harry.  

 

“That is exactly why we can’t all go with Norbert to the roof.  We’ll be too noticeable,” explained Ankaa. “I’ll go with Fred and George to the tower.  You two will go investigate the Third-Floor Corridor.” 

 

“You mean the corridor that ends in a ‘most painful death’?”asked Fred.

 

“I get why you want to off your brother, but why Harry?” asked George.  

 

“Hey!” said Draco.  

 

“I’m cashing in that favor Draco.  We still haven’t figured out what Hagrid’s other pet ‘Fluffy’ is or if what it’s guarding is safe.  Don’t forget our friendly neighborhood traveler. I highly doubt his ‘happiness’ came from unloading a rare dragon egg without any profit,” explained Ankaa, rolling her eyes.  

 

**0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0O0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0**

 

Draco:

 

He couldn’t believe he had let his sister talk them into this!  He and Harry were huddled together under the invisibility cloak as they crept down the hallway.  The third-floor corridor was cold and dank. Their footsteps echoed on the stones much more than Draco would have liked, but so far they had gone undetected.  

 

“I don’t see anything dangerous yet.  Do you?” whispered Harry nervously. 

 

“No?”  All he could see were boxes, dust covers, and some cat hairs. Still they moved through the hall with the utmost caution.  Hagrid didn’t seem to keep any ‘harmless’ pets other than his pathetic boarhound Fang. 

 

They were nearly at the end of the hall before he noticed the door.  

 

“It’s locked,” whispered Harry after trying the handle.  

 

“Allow me,” said Draco with a smirk.  “ _ Alohomora _ .”

 

The door creaked ominously inward…

 

**0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0O0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0**

 

Fred:

 

Fred and George were making good time by zipping through hidden shortcut after shortcut.  George had insisted that they take a slightly longer rout to keep some of their better secrets hidden.  Fred had to try hard not to laugh when Ankaa pulled them down the faster shortcut anyway. This little first year was a fast study in the art of sneaking.  

 

They were nearly to the top of the tower now, but they were far from in the clear.  

 

Professor Snape was pacing the hall just ahead of them.  Ankaa just managed to pull the crate and the twins into the shadows just before he turned to face them.  Fred was sure they would be spotted, but the surly professor’s eyes glided past them. 

 

Grateful, but confused Fred glanced around for an explanation.  Aknaa had a hand on each of their arms as inky blackness curled over their connected bodies.  The thin veil had even spread from George’s other hand to incorporate the whole 4ft tall crate.   _ How was a first year doing a spell like this? _  Fred and George still needed to combine their powers to create a decent Disillusionment Charm.   _ And Ankaa was doing this wordless and wandlessly!   _

 

He was distracted from his astonishment when Headmaster Dumbledore came around the corner.  Even he didn’t so much as glance at their hiding spot as he passed them to meet Professor Snape.  Snape seemed tens, like he was just waiting for an argument to start, but the headmaster just led him farther down the hall and out of site.  

 

Ankaa gave a sigh of relief and dropped her spell.  “How did you  _ do _ that,” whispered Fred.  

 

“Do what,” she whispered.  

 

Fred stared at her.  She couldn't be serious. There was no way she could have done such advanced magic and not even realized she was doing it!

 

She gave him one more odd look before continuing up the last set of stair and opening the door to the roof.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really am not that much of a cliffhanger nut. I just like to keep my chapters short, because it is easier for me as a reader. I tend to read fic on my phone, but my phone is stupid. Everytime it changes wifi connections, it reloads the page back at the top of the chapter. When a chapter is really long, it takes forever to find my spot again. It is so FRUSTRATING!!!!! 
> 
> So I will post the next chapter soon.


	25. Best Laid Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really am not that much of a cliffhanger nut. I just like to keep my chapters short, because it is easier for me as a reader. I tend to read fic on my phone, but my phone is stupid. Every time it changes WiFi connections, it reloads the page back at the top of the chapter. When a chapter is really long, it takes forever to find my spot again. It is so FRUSTRATING!!!!!

Ankaa:

 

Ankaa breathed a sigh of relief as she stared up at the clear night sky.  The cool night air felt good in her lungs. There was something freeing about being so close to the stars.  She cast a quick _ Tempus _ , finding that they still had approximately 15 minutes until the dragon smugglers arrived.  

 

She settled herself on top of the tall crate for the moderately long wait.  She enjoyed how the extra height let her look down on the much taller boys. Eventually, she tipped her head back to look up at her constellation.  The phoenix’s wingtips stroking down towards the dark forest. The frost on the ground and curling on the tree branches made the forest sparkle in the moonlight.  Fred and George were also quiet as they waited for their brother’s friends to arrive. I wasn’t long before she heard it...

 

It started out quietly.  Just a few scritches of scales and sleepy snorts.  Then there was a mighty bang just below her seat. Norbert was definitely waking up and was apparently not happy with the tight quarters. Ankaa just managed to leap down from her perch as the crate began to smoke and the baby dragon let out an ear piercing screech. Fred and George rushed back to her, but there was nothing any of them could do.  

 

Norbert was now thrashing about making frantic clicking noises.  But as Ankaa tried to remain calm and think of a new plan, something odd happened.  The clicking noises started to sound like words.  _ Hvor er moren min?  Hjelp meg mor! Mamma! _  Norbert began to claw at the door.  _  Jeg er redd.   _

 

Ankaa stared at the rocking crate in amazement as the words began to make scene.   _ I’m scared mamma.  Where are you? Help me, mamma, please! _

 

Ankaa reached forward and rested her palm on the warm crate door and hoped to Merlin whatever this was worked both ways.  “ _ It’s ok.  Your mamma is nearby.  We just want you to go to a safe place.”   _

 

Norbert ceased his struggles as he focused on the sound of her voice.   _ My mamma doesn't want me?  I know we are not the same, but… still my mamma... _

 

Ankaa felt her heart give an uncomfortable twinge.  “ _ Your mamma loves you very much, but it is not safe here for you.  So we found you a safer home. Where you're going there will lots of other dragons and I’m sure you will make plenty of new friends.”   _

 

_ “I don’t want to go…,”  _ hissed Norbert.  

 

“You can’t be serious,” whispered George.  

 

Fred crouched down next to her, “Are you really talking to a  _ dragon? _ ”

 

“I believe so.  Now don’t interrupt,”  she snapped. 

 

***

 

It had taken Ankaa nearly twenty minutes to calm Norbert down and convince him that his new home would be safer even if he didn’t particularly want to go.  By that time, though, Charlie’s friends had already arrived and where waiting with a harness suspended between two of their brooms. 

 

Ankaa then had the arduous task of coaxing Norbert out of the crate and into the harness.  By the time she was done the lead flyer, Andre, was practically bribing her in an effort to recruit her to their team.  Apparently, the fact that she was only in her first year at Hogwarts didn’t even register in light of her ‘skills’. All Ankaa could do was shake her head with a smile at the incorrigible man.  

 

“I never thought shy little Andre Ramirez could grow up to be so pushy,” laughed George.  

 

“I wouldn’t say pushy,” she said, “Just a little over excited.  It wasn’t  _ that _ big of a deal.”  

 

Ankaa and the twins stood on the roof as they watched Norbert disappear into the night sky.  Fred watched her for a long moment before they turned to leave, “You have no idea how amazing you are, do you?”  

 

Ankaa hoped the night was dark enough to hide the blush she felt on her cheeks as they descended the tower steps.  She had yet to come up with a witty remark when they turned the corner and ran straight into Professor McGonagall. 

 

**0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0O0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0**

 

Harry:

 

Harry couldn’t believe they had been so stupid.  They had run screaming from the monstrous three headed dog.  Of course someone had come to check! And in their infinite wisdom, they had somehow lost the cloak in their haste to get away.  He just hoped that it was out in the hall somewhere and not back with the slavering beast. 

 

Now they were being marched to Professor Snape’s office by the caretaker Argus Filch.  Ankaa would not be pleased with this turn of events. After all Harry had a feeling that Ankaa could be a lot scarier that Professor Snape if she wanted too.  

 

When they got to Snape’s office though, it was empty.  The two boys were grateful for the reprieve, but were still not happy to have to wait while Filch glared at them while blocking the door.  

 

No one was more surprised than Harry and Draco, when McGonagall brought in Ankaa and the Weasley twins.  “Well isn’t this a party,” said George with a smirk, but his smile soon faded when McGonagall reached for the red headed twin’s ears.  

 

“15 points from each of you, and two nights detention!  That goes for you three as well,” McGonagall said to the Slytherins with a glare, before she drug the twins away.  

 

“Great,” said Draco once she had left.  “Now we get to double those detentions, plus whatever extra punishment Severus can come up with for 45 lost house points!”  

 

This was going to be a long night...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Norbert’s first words are in Norwegian and translate as thus: Where are you mom? Help me mom! Momma! I’m scared.


	26. Detention

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As we are getting closer to the end of this 'book' I am taking longer to write chapters because a lot of them are connected. That means I have to write more than one chapter at a time before posting so I don't write myself into a corner. It also means there will be more cliffhangers ahead. 
> 
> *CLIFFHANGER WARNING*

Draco: 

 

Draco had been right about Snape’s punishment.  Four detentions and a 45 foot essay on wizarding laws  _ each _ !  One foot of parchment per combined house point lost.  During their first three detentions the professor had them doing all kinds of disgusting things in the potions laboratory.  Draco’s fingers still stung from all the lacewing flies he’d had to peel. 

 

Ankaa had tried to minimize the damage. Telling Severus that the boys must have gone looking for her after she left the dorms because of her insomnia.  It was a relatively plausible story seeing as Ankaa had had trouble sleeping even when she was an infant and she regularly snuck out to look for hidden passages or books in the restricted section.  Unfortunately their uncle knew them too well to be so easily fooled.  _ “Even if that fiction was in fact true, which it isn’t. It would still be completely idiotic for them to pursue you.  Going after you would triple your chances of getting caught and there would be no need. You have always had the habit of wandering around at night whenever you could not sleep.  I see no reason for this to have changed since coming to Hogwarts, yet you have not been caught even once. Draco would have known you would be fine, unless he was worried that you were in danger.  In which case the smart thing to do would be to notify myself or perhaps Prefect Rowle to minimize damage...”  _

 

It was at least worth the chance she had taken, but ultimately unfruitful.  Now the three of them stood outside Hagrid’s Hut in the snow, while they waited for Fred and George to join them for their final detention.  Although the Slytherin’s still had their essays to finish. 

 

As Draco stood leaning against the frost coated fence, he elbowed Harry.  “Hey watch this!” Draco let out a hot puff of air into the cold night. The mist curled from his lips in a blast.  “I’m a dragon!”

 

Harry giggled at his friends sillines, while Ankaa rolled her eyes at their childishness.  They all pause to look up when the light of a lamp came around the trees. Hagrid came back from his shed, “Is that you, Filch?  Hurry up, I want ter get started.” 

 

Filch glared down at the relaxed Slytherins. “I suppose you think you’ll be enjoying yourselves with that oaf?  Well think again - it’s into the forest for the lot of ya and I’m much mistaken if you’ll all come out of there in one piece,” Filch said nastily.  

 

“The Forest,” repeated Draco trying to keep his voice calm.  “We can’t go in there after dark - there’s all kinds of things in there - werewolves I heard.  Besides it’s off limits!” 

 

“Should of thought of that before you got yourselves into trouble, ain’t cha?” cackled Filch.  

 

***

 

Hagrid, that _ imbecile _ !  He had split them up.  Everyone knows that when faced with danger you don’t split up!  Now Draco was left alone with Harry and the bloody cowardly dog, following a trail of _ blood _ in the Forbidden Forest at  _ night _ .  This was the stupidest thing he had ever done, and it was at the request of his teachers!  When his father heard about this…

 

They were watching the ground as they walked, spotting spatterings of silvery blue blood every few steps.  The drips were getting larger. Draco was glancing back and forth with worry when something in the clearing ahead definitely moved.  Draco had a nasty feeling that they were being watched. 

 

“Look -” Harry muttered as he held out an arm to stop Draco.  

 

Something bright white was gleaming on the ground just ahead of them.  It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead. 

 

It was probably the most beautiful and sad sight Draco had ever seen.  Its long slender neck was thrown back in pain and its mane was spread out like the frost on dark leaves.  Draco took a step closer to Harry as a slithering sound announced the arrival of a hooded figure crawling across the ground towards them like some stalking beast.  As they watched the hooded figure reached the unicorn and lowed its face to drink deeply of the blood. 

 

Draco screamed in terror, but remembered to shoot off the red sparks before he grabbed Harry’s arm and ran for their lives.  They didn’t get far before Harry stumbled, pulling both of them down into the dirt by the roots of a large tree. Draco tried to pull Harry to his feet as the dark robed figure slunk towards them.  

 

It was almost upon them when a centaur burst from the trees, hooves flailing in the direction of their attacker.  

 

As suddenly as it had come, the hooded figure was gone.  “Are you Hogwarts foals alright?” asked the centaur called Frienze.  

 

***

 

Thankfully the centaur took pity on them and lead them to the edge of the forest.  They decided to wait for Hagrid and the others back at his hut and sent off another round of sparks to alert them to their change of location.  But the others didn’t come. 

 

Something must have happened to them, thought Draco as he paced the length of the small dwelling.  It felt like hours since they left the forest and they had set off two more rounds of flairs, but no one had come for them.  Something was not  _ right _ !  

 

“I can't wait any longer!” he screamed.  Draco charged out the door and towards the forest, but Harry stepped in his way.  

 

“And what exactly do you plan to do?  Fumble in the dark until you find your way into danger too?  That won’t help Ankaa.” 

 

Draco knew Harry was right, but he hated feeling useless.  “Something has to have happened…” 

 

“I know,” said Harry, “but Ankaa can take care of herself.  She has proved that on multiple occasions.” 

 

“She has also been proven to act recklessly with her life, especially when the people she cares about are in danger,” whispered Draco. Together they started worriedly into the dark trees. 

 

Finally they saw movement.  Hagrid and the twins emerged from the brush slowly, but paused when Harry and Draco ran up to them.  “Ah, there you two ‘re. Glad to see your ok. We were worried when we saw your flair.” 

 

Draco kept glancing behind Hagrid and the Weasleys, “Yeah, about that - what took you so long and where is my  _ sister _ ?”  

 

“Ah - well,” stuttered Hagrid, “You see - the thing is… We were so worried about ya when we saw the sparks tha we took off runnin’, but when we reached the place they had come from all we found was the dead unicorn, you gone, and somewhere along the way Ankaa must have gone missin’.”

 

“You mean to tell me that my sister is  _ missing _ in the  _ Dark Forest _ ?” Draco whispered in his most menacingly calm voice.  Forget what his father would say, Draco was going to have their  _ heads _ ...  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok. Maybe I am a little sadistic to my readers… But at least I don’t make you wait months for the next chapter! 
> 
> At least not yet…….. [Evil Smile]


	27. The Dark Forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait!

Ankaa: 

 

Ankaa panicked when she saw the red flair shoot into the sky.  Doubly so when she realized that it was coming from where her brother and Harry had gone.  She knew it had been a bad idea to split up, especially in groups so uneven, but Hagrid had insisted.  He had wanted to keep a closer eye on the Weasleys and he had wanted  _ her _ help to do it.  Like the twins had ever done anything they hadn’t wanted to do in their _ lives _ .  

 

But these circumstances were still her folly.  She should have protested more strongly despite their already precarious position with the authorities of Hogwarts.  Draco and Harry mattered more. She continued to berate herself as she ran after the others through the Forbidden Forest.  The twins were at least a foot taller than she and with Hagrid being a half giant they were quickly out running her in their haist.  

 

That was unacceptable.  Stealing herself she redoubled her efforts to move quickly, but the others were already out of sight in the thick brush.  With her lungs heaving she continued to run at full speed following the sound of their footsteps. Ankaa ducked around a large tree trying to cut through a heavy spot of brush in an effort to catch up to her companions, but her foot caught on one of the large tree roots.  

 

She stumbled hard, wrenching her ankle painfully as she pulled it free.  She tried to put weight on it to keep going but it collapsed under her and she swayed.  She tried to catch herself with her good foot, but the thick brush gave way to nothing but air beneath her weight.  

 

Her scream caught in her throat as she tumbled down the hidden ravine.  The sharp roots of the tree slowed her fall, but quickly gave way to a rush of air as she fell.  Nothing could save her from the boulders she could see fast approaching her at the bottom. There was a sharp pain in her skull as she landed, followed by a burst of white light behind  her eyes. Then her vision faded into darkness. 

 

***

 

When Ankaa woke, every bone in her body ached, her skull most of all.  Her ankle throbbed and now sat at an odd angle. She let out a muffled groan of pain but was unable to move an inch.  This was bad. Nearby she could hear the sound of running water like a creek, which was further hinted by the excess of mud she seemed to be wallowing in.  Miraculously she had somehow missed the boulders on the rocky shore to land in the muddy riverbed. The small stream must be being fed from all the snow melt from the previous storm and was ice cold.  Her shiver caused every pain in her body to spike and her mind to fog once again. 

 

***

 

When she woke for the second time, she instantly froze.  Something was rustling just above her head. Ankaa closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing.  

 

She flinched as something dry and rough began to rasp away the warm, sticky substance on her forehead.  Akana opened her eyes in surprise and found herself staring into black pools rimed in molten gold. They were set into a face that was dark with wet soil and she started as the creatures licked the fresh blood on her forehead.  

 

The tiny kitten before her was up to its belly in the thick mud.  Its entire body coated in the filth as it continued to lick the blood from her forehead and purr.  The creature seemed to be rather skinny, its legs too long and its ears too large for its diminutive body.  When the kitten eventually licked her face clean, Ankaa began to feel a curious warm tingling sensation and the pain in her skull suddenly lessened.  

 

The warmth on her head, only managed to emphasize the cold permeating the rest of her body and with great effort she refrained herself from shuddering from the cold.  She remembering how well  _ that _ had went the last time and didn’t want a repeat.  The kitten sat back on its haunches and watched her through slitted eyes for a long moment.  Then, it cautiously approached her again, to curl between her chin and uninjured shoulder. 

 

At first the wet sticky mud on its coat only managed to make her colder, but as it settled the kitten began to radiant heat like a warm fire.  They stayed like that for a long while as the kitten’s purrs vibrated on her chest. 

 

Eventually she drifted back to sleep...  

 

***

 

Sunlight was trickling through the dense leaves overhead when she was stirred to attention for the next day.  The kitten was still asleep tucked under her chin, but there was something else with her now in the bottom of the ravine.  She could hear them foraging in the brush just behind her, but when she tried to turn to get a look at the possible threat, her ribs screamed in protest.  Despite her efforts, she let out a faint gasp of pain. 

 

The large creature behind her froze, before slowly stalking towards her.  She held perfectly still as the heavy foot falls stopped just behind her head.  The creature knelt down and she felt its hot breath as it sniffed her hair. She could take it no longer!  

 

Quickly she jerked her head around, despite the pain, to glare at her doom.  The young centaur, tossed her long curly main, snorted once, and ran off into the dark trees lining the other side of the ravine.  

 

The cat, jostled by her sudden movements, stood and batted clawlessly at her nose.   _ That wasn’t very polite! _ it hissed.  

 

“How was I to know she wasn’t going to hurt me.  She could have been a werewolf for all I knew!”

 

The kitten blinked as if trying to determine how stupid she could be. Ankaa’s cheeks reading as she took in the sunlight dappling the ground around her.     _ Forget about the horse,  _ said the kitten. _  I was having a wonderful dream!  I deserved some sleep after wading through all this muck to get to you!    _

 

They froze mid argument as the filly returned with a large sorrel mare.  The mare’s human torso was cream white and her auburn hair fell in long, smooth waves over her shoulders as she knelt by Ankaa’s side.  “My stars! You  _ have _ had quite a fall!  Your collarbone is broken, you have two cracked ribs, and your ankle is badly sprained, maybe even broken,” whispered the mare.  “River, go fetch a large section of bark and some vines.” 

 

The flaxen chestnut filly hurried off to do her dam’s bidding.  While her daughter foraged for the supplies the mare explained, “My name is Pond and that is my filly River.  Our camp is just beyond that treeline there.” She pointed to the trees on the other side of the stream. “Once we have the litter constructed we can take you to the safety of the centaur camp and tend to your wounds.”  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was having a hard time making a decision on what Ankaa's familiar would be.


	28. The Centaurs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The centaurs needed some more spice, so I mixed it up a bit.

Ankaa:  

 

Pond and River gently carried her over the stream on a litter made of tree bark and suspended between them with rope made of vines.  Ankaa was unable to see much of the camp when they arrived. Pain spiked in her broken collarbone any time she tried to turn her head.  She could however see that the camp was well protected by a curvature in the ravine wall on one side and surrounded in dense thorny brush on the other.  It was probably the safest place in the whole forest and right near the cool clean water of the stream she had fallen next to. She noted that the trees she passed under on the way where laden with fruit despite the winter chill.  A convenient stronghold indeed.

 

When they bore her into the heart of the camp there was a buz of whispers, that suddenly stopped.  “Why have you brought a half-completed one into our territory!” boomed a deep voice. The cat at Ankaa’s side arched its back in a silent hiss.  

 

“Magorian,” the mare whispered as she stepped between Ankaa and the intimidating stallion.  “I brought her here.” Ankaa slowly turned her head, ignoring the pain, to face the tall dark bay stallion.  

 

“She is injured, Magorian.  As Herd Healer I am within my rights to offer help to anyone in need,” the mare said boldly.  She stared down the agitated stallion until he left with an angry snort and a flick of his tail.  

 

Pond proceeded to carry her on the litter back into a large cave in the ravine wall situated at the back of the camp.  Gently the mare and filly deposited her on a raised platform of rock, naturally lined with moss. She held back another gasp as she settled onto the cool moss, but as the soft greenery encompassed her she relaxed back onto it.  The filly, River, hurried to fill a clay bowl with fresh water from the rock basin on the opposite wall that was fed from a natural spring. River placed the bowl beside her mother before lifting the kitten and moving it to another raised platform nearby.  She then retrieved her own bowl and began cleaning the kitten’s mud soaked fur.

 

Pond lifted a crystal from a nearby shelf that began to glow brightly in her palms, before she replaced it on the shelf to illuminate the whole cave.  In the new light, Ankaa was able to see the slightly paler strip of skin between her green eyes that resembled an elongated four pointed star. As gently as possible the mare removed her clothes and began to clean the mud from her skin.  

 

When she was finished she rested her palm on Ankaa’s shoulder.  The Herd Healer’s palm began to glow with a warm green light that lasted for almost a full minute.  When the light faded, the pain in her collarbone was gone. Healer Pond repeated the process with her ribs, but paused when she reached her ankle.  Now able to sit up, Ankaa watched as the Herd Healer examined her ankle. “It is not broken,” she said sadly.

 

“That is a good thing isn’t it?” asked Ankaa.  

 

“Yes and no.  My earth magic is much more suited to healing bones, as they are more solid than muscle or ligaments.  I do however have very effective herb poultices that will help, but they will take more time.” She turned to start crushing herbs in a large stone mortar and pestle.  “It can be quite vexing at times, as a torn ligament can be just as deadly as a broken leg to centaurs. Our mobility is often what keeps us alive, especially with the many hazardous creatures of this forest.”  

 

Ankaa watched in fascination as the Herd Healer layered poultice onto her leg and wrapped it in feverfew leaves before splinting it with sapling branches and vines.  When she was finished River brought the newly cleaned kitten back and sat it in her lap. “You have a very beautiful and loyal companion. I’ve never seen a cat with a coat like her’s before.”  

 

Indeed, removed from all the grime the kitten was quite remarkable.  Her coat was a brilliant gold color and speckled with an assortment of small black spots ranging in various sized. It also had a patch of white around its mouth similar to a mustache and a short beard as well as a large white spot behind each ear.  Overall she looked a lot like a smaller version of an African Serval Cat.

 

“She?”

 

“Yes. didn’t you know your familiar was female?” asked River in confusion.  

 

“I doubt she even realizes that they are bonded yet,” explained Healer Pond, “Their bond is newly formed.  Less than a day old by my calculations.”

 

“Really?” said the filly.  “Have you thought of a name yet?”

 

Ankaa blinked at the obviously curious foal. “I didn’t even think she’d have wanted to come home with me.”  

 

The kitten blinked slowly up at her.   _Well of course I was going to stay with you.  Why else would I have allowed myself to get so_ dirty _just to claim you as mine?_

 

“You are pert, aren't you?” said Ankaa with a sarcastic glare.  “Well then what would you like me to call you?” The kitten just blinked up at her silently.  

 

“Names have significance,” explained The Herd Healer.  “The bond will not be complete until you give her one. Even in centaur culture it has great importance.  Fillies are named for things pertaining to nature, as generally only female centaurs contain earth magic.  Males are typically named after words meaning protection or herd. Although if one is found with the gift they are named after nature as well.”  

 

“When one has a strong enough gift they can choose to become a Herd Healer,” explained River, “Fillies and colts are not named until their 7th solar cycle.  That is when most centaurs begin showing signs of magic if they are able. Then we are named after the essence of our gift.”

 

“Natural Magic,” The Herd Healer continued, “can manifest through one of the five elements: Fire, earth, air, water, and light.  Centaurs can only access magics pertaining to earth, water, and on very rare occasions light. Most healers have magic pertaining to water and it is the closest relation to light magic, also known as life magic. This is because water is essential for all life, but light magic has the strongest healing and destructive power of all the elements.”  

 

“Both my dam and I have a talent in water magic and so can perform healing magic.  My dam has lead the herd as our Herd Healer for nearly a century.” The filly gave a proud flick of her tail.  “Herd Healers are in charge of the well-being of the entire herd!”

 

“So since you have a talent in water and healing magic, you are a Heard Healer as well?” Ankaa asked.  

 

“In training,” said the filly bashfully, “I only just started two moons ago.”  

 

The older mare flicked her ears toward the cave opening, “That is enough chatting, I should think.  It sounds as if someone has come to fetch their foal.” Healer Pond carefully helped Ankaa to her feet, situating her so she could lean on her withers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the herd’s doctor is a red head named Pond and the next doctor is her daughter River...


	29. The Camp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter. I have started Substatue Teaching while I wait for the next school year where I will be able to find my first Art Teaching job. Subbing is much more stressful than normal teaching for some reason.

Ankaa:

 

As she exited the Herd Healer’s cave she had to blink several times as they walked out into the sunlight. The camp was now bustling in the mid-morning light. The youngest of the centaurs were playing what looked like hide and seek in the nearby brush. Meanwhile, the older foals were gathered on the ground around a palomino stallion who appeared to be teaching some sort of lesson. There were mares spread throughout the camp. Some mares were prepping foods for storage in a large underground cellar or creating tools out of wood, bone, or clay. Other mares were openly using their earth magic to grow food, tend to the orchards, or building shelters.

 

As she paused to watch the mares work, River flicked her tail excitedly and pointed to the mares in the orchard. “Their bolstering the roots of the winter orchard.  In the spring they will begin laying the winter forest to rest and reawakening the summer orchard to the east.” River tilted her head in the opposite direction to another group of trees.  

 

“I thought it was odd that the trees here seemed to be laden with fruit in the dead of winter,” said Ankaa.  “Your camp and healing quarters seem rather well laid out to be completely coincidental to the forest.”

 

“Well spotted for such a young foal, especially for a human one,” said the healer.  “The mares of our ancestors carved this valley out of the side of the ravine many centuries ago.  Long before your Hogwarts came to be. Everything around us, the orchards, food stores, the river, even my healing cave, were all created using earth magic.”  

 

Ankaa was about to ask more questions when she over heard a ruckus near the camp border.  Her escorts, also noticed and began herding her towards the argument. As they drew nearer, Ankaa recognized the tall form of Magoian among the gathered centaurs. He was stamping his hooves in anger and had an arrow notched towards someone out of view.  

 

“I understand your need for privacy,” said a deep voice, “but one of my own is in danger and I _will_ retrieve her.”  

 

“You speak of protection, when it is you who abandoned your foal to the forest,” said Magorian, “She would most certainly be dead if our healer had not taken pity on her, _against_ my better judgment.”  

 

“The one _responsible_ for this idiocy will be dealt with, but my first priority is her safety.” Ankaa could recognize her uncle’s voice as they neared, but she was still blocked from sight by a wall of skin and fur.  

 

Magorian reared in challenge, “Where were you when your foal went careening into our ravine?  How exactly were _you_ keeping her _safe_ then?”  

 

There was a long pause.  “How badly.. was she _hurt_?” growled Severus in a low voice.

 

Healer Pond helped Ankaa lean on a nearby stallion and shouldered through the crowd.  “Be at peace, Master of Poisons and Guardian of Hogwarts. Your foal is well. I apologize for Magorian’s truculent criticism,” she said with a pointed look at the stallion, “He takes his responsibility as Herd Guardian very seriously.”  

 

River came to her side and helped Ankaa walk through the crowd.  Severus looked paler than usual and had dark circles under his eyes.  When his eyes fell on her he took a quick step forward, but stopped when Magorian lifted his bow once again.  

 

The Healer gave an impatient snort before stepping forward to help Ankaa walk the short distance to her uncle.  “I have mended her bones, but her ankle will still be sore for a few more days.” The Herd Healer removed a bundle from her vine woven bag.  “Here are the herbs I used. She will have to change the wrappings once a day, until she is fully recovered.”

 

Snape bowed to the Healer, “You have my deepest gratitude.”  He shifted her weight onto his arm so she could walk with more ease.  As they turned to leave, the small spotted kitten slunk out of the shadows to pad at their heels all the way back to the castle.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interesting fun fact- Contrary to popular belief, the herd stallion is not the "ruler" of a harem of females, though he usually engages in herding and protective behavior. Rather, the horse that tends to lead a wild or feral herd is often a dominant mare.


	30. Debriefing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm weird and never seem to post on the same day twice anymore, but that's just a better reason to subscribe!

Harry:  

 

Harry and Draco had been taking turns pacing the Slytherin common room all night.  Now they sat in stunned silence as they heard the news that the teachers had formed a search party to go into the Dark Forest to search for Ankaa.  Classes had been canceled and all the students of the Slytherin house sat around them in the crowded common room as they waited for any news. 

 

Gabriel sat in a chair nearby, watching the two boys with concern, but he knew better than to try to comfort them with so many of their peers around.  Hedwig had been busy all morning sending letters back and forth between, Hermione, Neville, and the Weasleys as they worried together over their friend.  Harry had received a letter from Hagrid saying that he was sorry that he would not be able to give them anymore information on the search, because he had been put on a week’s suspension from his duties and was not allowed to interfere with the search anymore.  Harry had yet to think of how to respond to the games keeper. Draco wasn’t even talking to the twins right now, let alone Hagrid. 

 

Harry was lost in his own inner argument on whether or not he would respond, when suddenly the common room door swung inwards.  Both Harry and Draco jumped to face the door where Professor Snape was leading an exhausted looking Ankaa by the arm. Thankfully she seemed mostly unhurt.  The only obvious injury being her left ankle, which was wrapped in twigs and vines. Harry barley spared a glance at the kitten padding at her feet, before he and Draco were in motion.  They both ran over to her to start bombarding her with questions. “Where have you been? We’ve been so worried! Are you ok? What happened to your leg? Why…”

 

“That’s enough!”  Snape snapped at them before turning to her, “Ankaa you are to retire to your rooms to rest. You will report to my office for a debriefing as soon as you are able.”  He passed her to a nearby female prefect before glaring at the rest of the Slytherin house. “The rest of you should have reported to the dinning hall 20 minutes ago.  Hurry up and head to lunch before using the rest of your free time to get some extra studying done. Final exams are only 2 weeks away!” The Professor stormed from the room while everyone was still scrambling to do his bidding.  

 

***   
  


Harry and Draco were waiting for Ankaa when she descended the staircase.  Quickly they pulled her into one of their regular hiding spots. The kitten perched on her shoulder seemed perturbed by the unceremonious jostling.  Ankaa grimaced and paused to removed the kitten’s claws from her school robe. “This little nuisance is my new familiar, Nimue. It’s a good thing she’s cute,” she said with a glare before launching into the story of the previous night’s events.  

 

When she finished Harry asked, “Are you sure your ok Ann?  It sounds like you were hurt pretty badly before the centaurs helped you…”  

 

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.  I can even move around on my own now as long as I have the splint on.  I’ve always been a fast healer,” she said before giving them both a good once over.  “I was more worried about the two of you. Why did you set off the flair?” 

 

Draco rolled his eyes before launching into their version of the nights events.  

 

**0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0O0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0**

 

Ankaa: 

 

Ankaa clutched Nimue to her chest nervously as she walked to her godfather’s office.  She didn’t like that Harry and Draco had been attacked by someone in the forest and worse, that Harry had been unable to get away due to the pain in his scar.  Both Ankaa and Draco agreed with Harry that it was probably a warning sign of some sort. It was even was possible that the hooded figure might actually be Voldemort!  After all, nobody really knew what had happened to the Dark Lord after the war. It was time to get more people involved.

 

That was why it was a good thing she already had a reason to meet Professor Snape in private. He was about the only adult she trusted in this school right now.  It was too convenient that the traveler at the tavern knew to bring a dragon egg to loosen Hagrid’s tongue. She suspected someone on the inside was feeding them information.  

 

As she stood outside the office door she shifted her familiar to her shoulder.  She preferred to have her hands free during a confrontation and her uncle would still be displeased with her exploits in the forest.  Cautiously she opened the door to a dimly lit room lined with books on every wall. She shut the heavy door as quietly as she could and slowly approached the man asleep at the desk.  She felt guilt twist in her stomach. His face was even more gaunt when relaxed in sleep. He must have been up all night searching for her in those treacherous woods! 

 

She knew he would hate knowing that she had caught him with his guard down, but she couldn’t bear to wake him either.  He obviously needed the rest and based on the slew of papers scattered on the desk he wasn’t going to get another chance like this until after this years final exams.   _ What could have been keeping him so busy to let work pile up so much? _  Her uncle was fastidious in his work, something major must be pulling his attention elsewhere to let his work laps to this extent.  She couldn’t add even more to his burdens, not after what she had already put him through. She would just have to figure this out on her own.  

 

Ankaa rummaged around her uncle’s office for a bit until she found a blanket. She stealthily tucked it around his shoulders.  Then she pulled out an old tea set and made a fresh pot of his favorite tea before setting it under a simple stasis spell. Finally, she borrowed some of the spare parchment laying around and a quill to write her report on the previous night’s events.  

 

She quietly cleared a small space on the desk for the tea and the letter.  Then she turned to leave using every ounce of her stealth skills. If worst came to worse, she could always count on Severus to be there if thing went too pear shaped.  


	31. Inter House Communications

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy spring break all! Maybe I will even finish more than one chapter this week. We can all have dreams right?

Harry:  

 

Ann came back from her meeting with her godfather with a scary look of determination on her face.  She immediately grabbed all her writing supplies from her room and dragged him and Draco into their favorite study spot.  “Harry can I borrow Hedwig for a bit?” she asked. 

 

“Sure, but what for?” asked Harry.  

 

Instead of answering she simply pulled out several sheets of parchment and began writing letter after letter.  When she was finished she sealed each letter with green wax and her signet ring. Then she handed one to Hedwig, “Take this quickly for me please?” she said as she stroked Hedwig’s breast feathers.  

 

“What was that all about?” asked Draco as Hedwig flew off through the owlery tunnel system.  

 

“I’ll tell you with the others after dinner,” she said as she re-gathered her supplies, “I don’t want to have to repeat myself.”  

 

“Wait. Others?” asked Draco.  

 

Ankaa turned back to glance at Harry before she left, “I’m going to need to borrow Hedwig for a while longer.  I’ll meet both of you in the abandoned classroom on the third floor after dinner!” 

 

Harry watcher her hurry out the door, “Wait. What?”  

 

“I have no idea...,” said Draco as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.  

 

***

 

Ankaa sat at a desk in the middle of the dim and dusty classroom, a cauldron bubbling before her.  As Harry watched, Ankaa pulled out a scrap of parchment from the broiling black liquid. The inky black substance dripped off the paper like oil on water, leaving behind a pristine blank piece of parchment.  They continued to watch as she removed six more small pieces just like it, before banishing the caldon’s contents. 

 

“I assume whatever this is, is the reason you missed dinner?” asked Draco as he and Harry pushed into the unused room.  

 

“Dinner is already over?” she said in surprise.  

 

Draco shook his head, “You and our uncle…”

 

Ignoring Draco, Harry simply pulled out the apple he nicked from the table and handed it to Ann.  She immediately took the offering and began nibbling on it while they waited for the others. Ann still wouldn’t tell them what this was about or who else was coming no matter how convincing Draco tried to be.  

 

Suddenly Harry noticed something missing.  “Where is your leg brace?”

 

“It was getting in my way,” she said dismissively.  

 

“But don’t you need it to walk?”

 

“It does still hurt to walk without it, but I would rather have my full range of motion, especially if we are going into a confrontation.”

 

“What confrontation?!” asked Harry.  

 

“Don’t worry I will explain shortly,” she said mysteriously.  

 

Harry wanted to argue that she still needed the brace until her leg was fully healed but before he had a chance to someone interrupted as they came tentatively into the room.  Neville slowly peeked around the corner like he was worried someone was going to prank him. He relaxed when he spotted Ankaa reclined on one of the desks and walked up to stand next to Harry.  “Do you have any idea what’s going on, Harry?” he asked. 

 

“Not a clue.  Didn’t she tell you in the letter?” asked Harry.  

 

“No.  Just something about not wanting to repeat herself…”  

 

They stopped to turn as the door opened for a second time and the Weasley twins walked in.  They somehow looked a little less lively as they slouched into the room. That didn’t stop Draco from verbally tearing into them about how reckless and irresponsible they had been to leave Ankaa alone in the forest.  The twins didn’t seem to disagree with him either. “That’s why we came. Ankaa said we-”

 

“-could repay the debt we owe-”

 

“-by helping her with this mission.”

 

“Whatever it is…”

 

All five boys turned as the door opened for the third time.  This time followed by a girl with a mane of fluffy curls that watched the Weasley twins warily as she edged towards Ankaa.  “I see you finally found a way to improve our experiment!” she said excitedly. “And just in time for final exams too!”

 

“Wait,  _ you _ know why we are all gathered here?” exclaimed Draco, sounding insulted.  

 

“Well, it’s a study group right?  Why else would she have altered our flashcard potion to encompass more than just two cards?  We have been using two linked scraps of parchment to quiz each other before tests almost all year.” said Hermione.  “The note you write on it is automatically displayed on the linked parchment until the other person says  _ finite incantatem. _  So far we hadn’t been able to study with more people, because when one card is erased all the cards were. This made it impossible for every person to see the question before it was answered.  Usually it was Ankaa answering the questions before anyone else even got the chance to read it...” she finished with a mock frown. 

 

“But I’ve fixed that problem.  Now if you want to clear all the parchments you say  _ finite incantatem _ , but if you only want to clear your parchment you say  _ finite incantatem unas, _ ” said Ankaa.  “I would be willing to give you the recipe, if you will help me with a project that I am working on.”  

 

“Will you let me be in your study group as well?” asked Hermione, glancing around the group.  

 

“Of course,” said Ankaa with a nod.  

 

“Then it’s a deal!” said Hermione, “What are we doing?”  

 

Ignoring her question Ankaa turned her attention to Neville, “Will you help me as well if I include you in our final exam study group?” 

 

“Uhh...sure, but what _ is _ the plan?” said Neville timidly.  

 

“I’m so glad you asked…” said Ankaa with a smirk.  


	32. Teamwork and Trapdoors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huzzah! My goal of two chapters this week has already been realized!

Neville: 

 

Neville moaned quietly as he approached the door at the end of the forbidden corridor alone.   _How did he let himself get mixed up in these things!_  Ankaa had made it sound so simple when she told them all about her plan.  Every night they took turns going to the locked door and checking to make sure that the huge, gigantic, _monstrous_ dog was still guarding the trap door.  Then they would relay their findings back to the others using the linked parchments.  So far there had yet to be anything ‘suspicious’ found.  

 

_ Why am I even still doing this? _ wondered Neville as he stepped up to knock on the door.  Final exams had already ended this afternoon. He had no real reason to be helping them, although all the extra studying had helped.  He actually felt like he did a decent job on all of his tests!

 

He was so lost in his own thoughts that at first he didn’t notice it, but as he turned to head back he stopped.  He hadn't heard it. The growling that always set his heart to racing every time he came down here to knock. Slowly he turned back to face the end of the hall and leaned his ear against the door.  Nothing. Quickly he whispered the spell Ankaa had taught him. He held his breath as he cautiously peered around the door. 

 

The beast’s hot stinking breath blew directly into his face as it let out and earth shaking snore.  Its moist, hot breath blowing in huge gusts directly into his face. It was not a pleasant smell. Neville pulled his sleeve over his nose as he looked around the small room.  The only things he noticed out of place besides Fluffy being asleep were the harp playing in the corner and the trap door ajar beneath his paws. Quickly he backed out of the room and messaged the others.  

 

**0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0O0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0**

 

Ankaa: 

 

As soon as she received Neville’s message, she was instantly in motion.  With the utmost haste she went straight to Severus's chambers. They needed backup immediately.  But when she opened the door he was gone. Panicking she turned and grabbed the nearest Slytherin.  “Where is Professor Snape!” she barked. 

 

Prefect Rowle gave her a considering look, “He left with Headmaster Dumbledore this morning on urgent business.  I can send him an owl if it’s an emergency?” 

 

“That will take too much time!” she gasped.  Ignoring the odd look the prefect was giving her she hurried off to collect the others.  

 

***

 

It did not take long for them to meet her in the abandoned classroom after she sent out the call via the linked parchments.  Harry and Draco had used the cloak to sneak out of the Slytherin common room and she had sent the twins to pick up Hermione and Neville using their hidden passages.  “I know why they chose to attack tonight,” she said as the others gathered around her. “Dumbledore and Professor Snape are both gone for ‘urgent business’. By the time they get back, it will be too late!”  

 

“But what are we supposed to do about it?” asked Neville.  

 

“We have to stop him!” cried Harry, “You’ve all heard the stories of what happened in the last war.  Do we really want to let him become immortal!” 

 

The others were all silent for a long moment before Ankaa continued.  “We will just have to get to the stone first,” she said in a determined voice.  

 

***

 

Ankaa’s hands shook as she approached the door at the end of the hall.  She knew that the more allies she had in this mission the better chance they had at success, but she was struggling with putting the people she cared about in danger.  The best protection she could give them was to have Harry, Draco, and Neville hide under the invisibility cloak while Fred and George each used a double Disillusionment Charm.  George partnered with Hermione and Fred with Ankaa. Both boys were sweating bullets by the time they reached their destination. 

 

Carefully Ankaa raised her hand and knocked on the heavy door.  A three toned growl answered her. 

 

“The enchanted harp must have stopped playing,” moaned Neville.  

 

“I will handle this,” whispered Ankaa in a grim tone.  If she could not overcome a dog, what right did she have to ask her friends to risk their lives.  “Acio Original Antonio Stradivari Violin!” 


	33. Lullaby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! I'm a liar! I was going to post this sooner but we had a child abduction scare at the school I'm subbing at. I was a bit distracted...

Harry:

 

Harry stared in horror as Ankaa strode towards the door with nothing more than a violin to protect her.  She couldn’t hold her wand when she needed one hand to hold the instrument and one to hold the bow.  _ What was she thinking! _  Without thinking his hand shot out to grasp her elbow and hold her back.  “You can’t go in there!”

 

Her intense glare quickly soften as she saw how concerned Harry really was for her, “I can do this Harry.”  She carefully extracted her arm from his grip and strode into the room without a backwards glance. 

 

Harry and the others watched through the cracked doorway as three sets of golden brown eyes turned towards her.  A menacing three toned growl rose in its throats as the the thick brown fir rose above its hackles. Slobber was dripping from three sets of giant canine teeth while Ankaa gently placed the violin beneath her chin.  But before she could even touch the bow to the silvery strings the head to her right struck out. Its jaws snapped shut mere inches from her as she elegantly danced out of range. Then the head on the left lunged for her and she had to twirl out of the way again.  

 

The real problem was the size of the rounded stone room.  There was no way for her to be out of range of all the heads at the same time.  Ankaa ducked and twirled and lept with the grace of a prima ballerina, but never seemed to get out a single note before she had to dance out of the way of another strike.  Finally she found her opening. Clutching the violin to her chest she dashed between two snapping jaws and tuck and rolled under the great bests belly to crouch behind its two massive back paws.  Quickly she lifted the bow and drew it across the strings. 

 

The melody that came after was slow at first, with long drawn out notes that vibrated deep in your chest and filled you with a longing, almost melancholy feeling too vast to describe. Harry wasn’t sure why but the simple melody was nostalgic for him and a feeling of loneliness crept upon him as it used to before he came to Hogwarts.   That loneliness grew into a crescendo of sorrow that rolled through the air like waves crashing in the sea. 

 

The Cerberus swayed on its paws in time to the music.  Suddenly the song shifted and the notes cascaded down into something resembling the gentle tune of soft rain over still waters.  The melody still swayed like the ocean, but much more gently as though the waves were trying to rock the beast to sleep. The center head wined pitifully as all six eyes began to droop.  The melody slowed, and as she accentuated the vibrato in the last few notes Fluffy tipped precariously and fell to one side in a deep sleep. 

 

As everyone rushed into the room to congratulate Ankaa, Harry stayed back.  The three headed dog was still asleep despite the song having ended. Neville carefully edged around the animal over to Ankaa’s side.  “How did you manage to keep it asleep?” he asked, “I thought the music had to keep playing fo it to stay asleep.” 

 

In answer Ankaa lifted her violin and bow, “The bow strings are made of unicorn hair and the violin is strung with goblin silver.  It took some extra focus to get the magic to focus on just the dog and not to affect the rest of us. That’s the reason it took me so long to put the brute to sleep.”  

 

“That was an amazing performance,” said Draco, “I never thought all those dance lessons father made us go to would actually be useful for something other than boring parties.”  Draco paused for a moment in thought, “That song… It’s the Seal Lullaby that uncle Severus used to play for us when we were little. You were the only one who could convince him to play it, and even then it took hours of your pleading looks and tearful green eyes to coax him onto the piano stool.  Who would have thought it could be translated to violin so elegantly.” 

 

Ankaa smiled at her brother tiredly, “I always loved the song.  As soon as I could play an instrument I started working on translating it so I could play it myself.  It always seemed to make Severus sad… What’s wrong Harry?”

 

Startled out of his thoughts Harry refocused on the conversation he had only half payed attention too.  “Ah.. I-it’s nothing. The song just seemed familiar.” Shaking himself free of his somber mood, he refocused on the task at hand.  “Let see if we can get this trap door open. 


	34. Neville

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm getting a lot slower with my posting, sorry. I'm in the process of buying a house and it is cutting into my writing time. Thank you for your patience!

Neville:

 

As they approached the sleeping Cerberus, Neville was shaking from head to toe.  The Weasley twins were the first to approach and made swift work of moving the monstrous paw from above the trap door.  As Draco and Harry worked together to lift the heavy wooden and steel door, Neville stared into the dark nothingness below.   _There was no way he was going down there!_  

 

Suddenly everyone was crowding around the pit like it was nothing and Neville was somehow caught at the front next to Ankaa.  “I will go down first and see if its safe,” she said.

 

 _Safe,_ SAFE! _Nothing about this was safe!_  Neville watched anxiously as Ankaa jumped and quickly disappeared into the darkness.  He was practically hyperventilating while he waited for Ankaa to respond.

 

After a long pause she finally called up, “It's ok!  You can jump. It’s a soft landing on some kind of net… made of plants?”

 

Taking her word for it Harry and Draco jumped in after her.  The Weasley twins came next, somehow jumping through the small opening simultaneously.  Hermione was more cautious. First dangling by her fingertips and then dropping into the gloom leaving Neville alone by the snoring dog.  

 

Neville was contemplating walking back to his dorm room when the first scream came.  

 

“Something just moved past my leg!” Draco exclaimed.  

 

“Stop messing around Draco and help me look for a door or something,” snapped Ankaa.  

 

“I’m not kidding.  Its climbing up my leg!”

 

“Hey! Something just slid down the back of my cloak!” shrieked Hermione.  

 

“Hey these vines-”

 

“-are creeping up-”

 

“-our leg!  We-”

 

“-can’t move!”  

 

Neville paced back and forth in front of the open trap door.   _What was going on!_  As Neville came closer to the trap door to get a better look at what was happening, he tripped on an uneven stone.  He plunged into the darkness as he screamed.

 

***

 

Pain.  The air around him was burning.  He recoiled from the light that was scorching his skin, curling tightly around any shield he could find.  The closest shelters were wriggling in his grasp. They were not enough! No matter how tightly he could wined his leaves beneath their loose pelts her could not protect himself from the dry, burning heat.   _Wait, leaves?_

 

Neville’s eyes shot open.  Tendrils of vines were curled around his arms, legs, and throat.  His friends around him were not in any better shape and from the looks of them they were struggling to breathe.  Their desperate struggles against the restricting vines were quickly getting weaker. He had to do something now!  

 

Using every ounce of strength he had, Neville strained against the vine to reach his wand in his cloak.  The vines were tightening around his own throat now and he was starting to see spots dancing before his eyes.  Finally, he managed to close his fingers around the smooth cool wood. His fingers slipped as he pulled the wand free of his robes, but he managed to hold on and point it towards the light.  With a quick, hoarsely whispered spell the trap door slammed closed and they were plunged into darkness.

 

As soon as they were surrounded in pitch black darkness, the vines began to relax.  Tears stung at Neville’s eyes as he heard his friends gasp and cough for air along with him.  He had done it. He had finally used the powers his Head of House, Professor Sprout, had been trying to teach him about.  

 

Truthfully he had never believed her that he could have such a rare gift.  There were only a handful of Earth Empaths every century and according to Professor Sprout he was only the second this century to come to Hogwarts and she the first.  She had not even had another Earth Empath alive to teach her and so was not entirely sure what range of power to expect in someone else. The only things all Earth Empaths had in common was that their powers were biased in earth magic and that they could read the emotions of plant nearby.  No Earth Empath had exactly the same powers as another and so far all Neville had managed to do was read the vital signs of a plant, and even then he had needed to be in physical contact with the plant.

 

This was far beyond what he had ever imagined being able to do.  It felt as though the thoughts and emotions of the plant had been his own.  He had not been able to tell where the boundary between his thoughts and the plants had even been!  It had been terrifying, but had also felt right and it _had_ helped save his friends.  

 

“How did you know that closing the trap door would calm the plant down Neville?” Harry asked.  

 

“I-I’m not quite sure.  I think I sort of… Kind of talked to the plant? No. That’s not it.  More like th-thought as the plant,” mumbled Neville.

 

“He’s lost it,” muttered Draco.  

 

“Did you bump your head mate?” asked George.  

 

Neville turned so red he was sure the others could see it even in this gloom.  “No really! Professor Sprout has been trying to teach me all year, although I haven’t been very good at it…”  

 

“I think I might of read about something like this,” said Hermione, “It’s a very rare gift.”  

 

“Was it in the book you loaned me, The Finest Wizarding Floriculture?” asked Ankaa.  

 

“Oh bloody hell!  You started them on books!” moaned Draco.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't noticed, I like to highlight the points where these eleven-year-olds come close to dying in their first year at Hogwarts with lots of drama and violence...


	35. Trick Key

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter this time! Well, for me anyway... Thanks for the wait!

George:  

 

After an eternity of lecturing on the awesome power of Earth empathy, someone finally pointed out that they had still had yet to find an exit from this deadly plant pit.  He could see that Fred too was only half listening and would probably fill him in on what he missed if any of it was actually important. They worked well as a team. Fred was the planner, good with people and very observant about verbal tells and body language.  He also was the best strategist George had ever met. Fred had even once confessed to him that the sorting hat had tried to put him in Slytherin, but Fred had refused to be separated from his twin. George on the other had was the inventor that came up with the outlandish ideas and had the knowledge of machinery to back it up.  

 

Already, George had thoroughly checked all of the walls while the others were distracted and found no hidden passages, traps, or exits. Finding nothing, he headed back to his brother Had shrugged his shoulders in defeat.  Fred gave a slight nod in answer before suddenly interrupting the group’s conversation. “Wait. So you can talk to plants, Neville?”

 

“Well, not exactly..” asked Neville warily.  

 

“But you can tell what this plant is feeling?” asked Fred more pointedly.  

 

“As long as I am touching it.” confirmed Neville.  

 

“We’re all touching it,” mumbled Draco.  George had to try really hard not to laugh out loud.  

 

“So you could use the plant to see if it can find any openings or drafts coming from the walls?” asked Fred after elbowing George, whose shoulders were still shaking with silent mirth.  

 

“I can try,” said Nevill.  Everyone fell silent while Neville concentrated.  After an endless pause he said, “Their is a big hole in the floor right below the plant, but I don’t know how far it goes down.”  

 

“Could you talk the plant into lowering us down?” interrupted George.  

 

Once again Neville closed his eyes and a few minutes later George nearly jumped out of his skin as the tendrils of vines began to wind around him again.  The memory of the plant squeezing the air from his lungs too fresh in his mind for comfort. He really began to panic when the vines began to pull them all under.  

 

Slowly but surely they sank until he could see nothing but his twins frightened eyes above the leafy knots before they were all completely submerged.  George thrashed against the increasingly tight hold of the vines until he was sure his ribs would crack. He could feel the vines still pulling him down what felt like miles before he glimpsed a faint light below him.  _  Had he gotten himself turned upside down while he struggled? _

 

With one final tug, the vines wrapped around him pulled him free to dangle a few feet above a solid stone floor before unceremoniously dumping him on his arse.  The cold stones were not as comfortable as they looked. Glancing around he could see that all the others were in the process of recovering from a similar experience.   

 

As Neville stood more slowly to join the rest of them, even George could see that he was sweating and much more pale than usual.  His legs were shaking beneath him and Fred unobtrusively moved next to him in order to catch him if he fell. Ankaa also watched him with concern, but the others were already moving down the long cramped corridor.  George brought up the rear, keeping an eye out for any one or anything that might come up behind them. 

 

The stone passage was dark and dank with only the sound of their feet slapping the floor and the subtle drips of water falling on the hard stone.  The passageway was sloping downward and George was starting to get a panicky feeling in his chest.  _ Merlin he hated small places! _  Someone brushed his shoulder and he glanced down to see Ankaa squeeze his fingers once in reassurance under the cover of the gloom.  Sometimes he forgot how observant this little first year was. 

 

Gradually he began to see a faint silvery light growing ahead of them.  As they drew closer Draco asked, “Does anyone else hear that?”

 

George stained his ears to hear the faint clicking and swishing coming from the same direction as the light.  “It sounds like wings, but sort of metallic? Maybe it’s a Snitch that’s gone astray?” 

 

“Whatever it is, I definitely see movement up ahead,” remarked Ankaa still walking close by his side.  

 

Finally, they reached the end of the narrow, restrictive passage to see a brilliantly lit chamber.  The vaulted concrete ceiling arched high above them, quickly relieving George’s anxiety. The room was filled with jewel-bright birds that twirled and fluttered through the expansive space.  On the opposite side of the round chamber was a large, heavy, wooden door. 

 

“Do you think they will attack us if we try to cross the room?” whispered Neville nervously.  He was still shaking and too pale. 

 

“Probably,” muttered Draco darkly, before putting on a lighter tone, “You go first Neville.”  

 

Harry elbowed him in the ribs, “I’ll go first, don’t worry Neville.  You just try to rest.” Taking a deep breath and covering his head with his arms, Harry sprinted across the room, but nothing happened.   Cautiously he reached for the handle and pulled, but it was locked. 

 

The others followed.  They tried heaving, pulling, and casting spells at the lock to no avail.  “Now what?” asked George grumpily. But as he glanced around he suddenly noticed that Ankaa wasn’t there.  Quickly he spun around to see her in the center of the room staring up at the birds. “What are you looking at?”  

 

“Their not birds,” she said simply.  He glanced up in confusion, but instantly saw that she was right.  The birds  _ glittered! _ No bird he had ever seen had that kind of metallic sheen.  They were  _ keys _ !

 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Draco rushing over to something along the wall.  “So all we have to do is fly up and grab the right key on one of these brooms!” he crowed.  

 

“Stop!” yelled Fred.  George was confused for a moment before he caught on to what his twin was so upset about.  His blood ran cold. 

 

“What?” snapped Draco, startled.  

 

“Honestly, I thought Slytherins-” 

 

“-were known for their cunning.”  

 

“If  _ we _ were going to guard something-”

 

“-important like this, the first thing-”

 

“-we’d do would be to booby trap-”

 

“-the brooms,” they said, chorusing the last bit together for emphasis .   

 

Rolling his eyes George walked over to a thick root sticking through the stone just inside the corridor they had come from.  With a quick twist he tore off the smaller roots to make a thick makeshift club. He glanced at his brother who ducked further into the passage and came back with a fist sized stone that still had clumps of dirt attached, probably from being pulled out of the stone wall.  

 

“What kind of key are we looking for?” he asked.  

 

Ankaa caught on the quickest, “A really old fashion one, probably silver like the handle… There! The bright blue one with the bent wing!”  

 

Fred took up a position that made him look like the non-moving picture of a muggle baseball pitcher his father had once shown them, and chucked the ball with all his might.  

 

Using all his beater training, George clobbered the stone right at the key that was struggling to fly.  It fell to the ground with a mournful, tinkling sound. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the plant is called a Devil’s Snare, but I figured the only people who would care what it is called are Neville, Hermione, and possibly Ankaa. So George is just calling it ‘the plant.’


	36. Triple Strike

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late chapter. I had to do some research for this one.

Draco:

 

As they all entered the next room it was so dark that Draco couldn’t make out anything in the room at all.  But as they walked a little further in, the room was suddenly filled with a blinding white light. Draco blinked his eyes rapidly to clear them so he could face any imminent threat, but instead found himself faced with the largest chessboard he had ever seen.  

 

They were standing behind chessmen twice as tall as they were, that appeared to be carved from black stone.  Across the expansive chamber stood two rows of marble white chess pieces. Draco repressed a shiver. The white chessmen had no faces.  

 

“Now what do we do?” whispered Harry next to his ear.  

 

Draco pointed to the door, visible just past the white chessmen, “Isn’t it obvious? We’ll have to play our way across the room.”  He stared at the board for a long moment. “I bet we’ll have to join their ranks in order to get across,” he said grimly. 

 

“D-do you suppose it will be like the wizards chess, you’ve been teaching me?” asked Harry with an anxious look at the white chessmen’s very realistic weaponry.  

 

“It wouldn’t be much of a defense if it wasn’t,” said Ankaa quickly joining their grim train of thought.  

 

_ Thump! _

 

All three of them quickly spun around to see a very pale Neville out cold on the stone floor.   _ Pathetic _ , thought Draco, but paused on further inspection.  Neville looked remarkably pale. Maybe even paler than uncle Severus and his breathing was very shallow.  

 

Ankaa rushed forward to kneel beside him.  She placed the back of her hand to his forehead, “He’s feverish, probably from over exertion from his gift.”  She stared pointedly at both the Weasley twins in turn, “I need you both to take him back the way we came.”

 

They both looked like they were about to argue when suddenly Hermione jumped into the conversation, “It is for the best anyway.  It will be a lot less dangerous to cross this room the few people we have to strategically guard while we play across.” 

 

Draco stared at her like she had just grown a second head, “You play chess?   _ You? _ ”

Hermione looked a little sheepish, “Not really.  I mean I’ve read multiple sources on the subject.  A lot of the other Ravenclaws play, but I’m not very good at it yet.”  

 

“Fine.  We know when we’re not wanted”, said George as he hoisted the unconscious Neville.  

 

“But you first years better not get hurt,” said Fred with a pointed look at Ankaa.  

 

Draco had to agree with him.  His sister had been having a streak of recklessness in her this year, but Draco doubted it would stop now.  

 

As they watched the three of them leave, Draco turned to his sister for guidance.  “Oh no. Not me. I’m far too rusty to take on this endeavor, thanks to  _ some _ people,” she said.    

 

Draco smirked back at his sister. Then he took a deep breath before leading the charge towards the massive playing board.  Swiftly he made the decision to select the bishop on black. He knew better than to choose a knight’s place. He liked to use them for less predictable stealth strikes at the other sides strongest artillery, but he also had a habit of not seeing long range traps from countering rooks and bishops when taking those risks.  

 

Ankaa, knowing his favored strategies, stepped up to take the queen’s place.  Normally this would be a mistake, but Draco was well versed in protecting his best assets.  Next, Harry selected the bishop on white, and Hermione selected the rook on the far right. 

 

“Now what?” whispered Harry.  

 

“Now we let the games begin,” whispered Draco darkly as he watched the first hostile pawn move to E6.  After some preliminary pawn posturing, things finally started to get interesting when he made his first real move.  Knight to C3. 

 

The white chessmen immediately countered with a bishop to B4, putting his knight in the direct line of fire.  Gambling that the bishop would not attack due to the pawn on B2 as a backup defense, he ignored the threat and finished setting up his usual pawn arrangement.  This held true for the first two move, but then the bishop finally chose to attack. Taking the knight and placing their king in check. 

 

Draco quickly countered by taking that same bishop with their pawn.  Swiftly removing the threat and opening up the board for any quick strikes from Harry and Draco as their sides bishops through clean diagonal paths.  After a few more moves, Draco directed Harry to move to D3. This opened up two more diagonal paths for him to attack across the board as well as quick route back to safety if need be.  This also opened up a path for Draco to castle on the king’s side. As the rook in this maneuver, Hermione was understandably startled as the very large king rushed past her. Draco’s own heart stopped when Hermione stumbled.  Who knew what would happen if she accidentally stepped off her space during the game?  _ Would the hostile chess men take it as an act of cheating and attack them at once? _

 

Thankfully she managed to regain her footing once the king move out of her way.  As soon as both of her feet were back on solid ground, she sank to the floor in relief, panting heavily.  Draco nearly did the same, but managed to retain his composure. 

 

Unfortunately, while Draco was distracted one of the white pawns moved to threaten Harry.  Draco immediately directed him to retreat to E2. Then he moved himself to a better vantage point at A3, where there was another open diagonal.  

 

This left one of his pawns as an unfortunate sacrifice at E5.  This eventually lead to a domino effect of chess piece after chess piece falling until he had lost two pawns and his last knight, while the hostile side had lost only one pawn and only one of their knights.  

 

Ankaa frustrated by the catastrophe glared at him, “What do you think we are trying to accomplish.  An all out, no winners brawl!” With out any more warning she moved herself into the fray at D4 placing the remaining hostel knight in her cross hairs.  

 

“What are  _ you _ doing!” Draco cried, “That leave you open to attack from any side!”  

 

“It also gives me the high ground for optimal attack range,” she retorted.  

 

They watched as the lone knight retreated away from her.  Frustrated she barked at Harry, “Move to H5. If the Knight tries to get away again it will put their king into check.”  

 

Harry quickly obeyed, ignoring the glare that Draco shot his way.  This was supposed to be  _ his _ shining moment!  

 

The white chessmen then countered by moving their king right behind the remaining white knight, effectively stopping their assault.  Trying to back up Harry, Draco moves one of their remaining pawns forward to attack the knight from the left diagonal. Unfortunately it was quickly struck down by a hostel pawn before it could follow through with the assault.  

 

Suddenly before Draco could react to their third failure of attack on the knight, Ankaa moved forward to take a pawn.  “What did you do that for?!” said Draco in a panic. 

 

Ignoring Draco, Ankaa simply said, “Check.”  

 

Indeed, she had managed to see an opening  _ around _ the knight to attack the king.  

 

Quickly the king moved forward out of range.  Then Ankaa signaled Draco to move right in front of her at D6.  He followed grudgingly, but nearly had a heart attack when the other queen moved to stand right next to him at C6.  Ankaa then took one step back to D4 to put the king in check again so the queen couldn’t attack. The king then retreated to F7.  Draco seeing his life flash before his eyes, frantically gestured for Harry to move to F3 and force the queen to retreat. 

 

Then Draco saw it.  The perfect opportunity.  He called Harry over to stand between them at D5, trapping the opposing king on F7 in a triple diagonal assault with no escape.  “Checkmate!” Draco crowd. They all watched in triumph as the king’s sword clattered to the stone floor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the chess jargon was confusing, you can watch the chess game from this video. This is where most of the story comes from. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUWnB-_-UOg
> 
> Game start at 2:00  
> Final strike at 7:20


	37. Meanwhile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies! I have been taking a short intermission to study for my 3 different Praxis tests I am taking this summer, but I could not wait any longer to write this chapter. I know it is shorter than usual, but I am still in the study trenches and am just peaking out for a bit of fresh air. *silently crying on the inside*

Nimue:  

 

What was taking this imbecile so long to get the hint!  She had been following him around all evening swiping at his feet, bringing him quills, pulling parchment from his bag and still he refused to understand the situation her mistress had run off and gotten herself mixed up in.  

 

She had been with her lady when she received intel on this dangerous mission and had followed her to this man-child! What had she called him?  Pertinent? Perfect? Prefect? Oh who cared! Her mistress was in danger! And this human knew how to reach help. 

 

After watching her lady’s distressed conversation with this human, she had followed her to the dark corridor with her pride mates.  Nimue had seen the demon that her mistress elegantly faced down and defeated. At first she had been relieved that they had all survived, but that quickly turned to horror as her mistress descended through the trap door.  The three headed terror had obviously just been the tip of the iceberg and if her lady insisted on continuing she would need back up. 

 

Swiftly Nimue had hunted down the insufferable imbecile before her now, but alas she had yet to garner more attention than a few demeaning shoo’s and conciliatory pets.  Now she sat perched on his desk like some sort of useless decoration as she watched the “Prefect” use the quill and parchment she had gathered to write an essay. An _ essay _ at a time like this!  

 

It was time for drastic measures.  She wasn’t quite sure if this would even work with someone as obviously dim witted as him, but she definitely would need his attention for this to succeed.  With a vicious swipe of her paw, Nimue knocked the bottle of ink over to spill all over the nearly completed 3 foot essay. When the teen inevitably hollered in protest, she pinned her ears back and yowled in his face.   _ Ankaa is in danger!  You need to contact Severus immediately!   _

 

“Did you just speak?” he asked as he sat down hard in bewilderment.  

 

_ Great Merlin!  That is the least of our problems right now.  Focus! You need to let Professor Snape know that Ankaa and her friends are in trouble! _

 

“Well how am I supposed to do that now? You’ve ruined all my parchment!”  

 

Without another word, Nimue leaped back up on the desk and daintily placed a paw on the ink soaked parchment.  Slowly the ink seeped up to her paw and disappeared, leaving behind a pristine sheet of blank parchment. 

 

“Well I guess it was too much to hope to get my essay back as well..” he grumbled as he pulled out a new bottle of ink from the cupboard.  

 

Nimue said nothing as she tucked her paws beneath her and watched him write his letter.  

 

****


End file.
